Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta

Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta was born in Koutiala, French Sudan (modern Mali). Educated at the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly in Paris and the University of Dakar, he earned master's degrees in history and political science at the University of Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne). He worked for European development agencies before returning to Mali in the 1980s.

Keïta served as Prime Minister under President Alpha Oumar Konaré from 1994 to 2000 and as President of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007. In August 2013, following the Tuareg rebellion and military coup of 2012, Keïta won the presidential election in a landslide with over 77% of the vote. As president, he negotiated the 2015 Algiers Peace Agreement with northern armed groups and coordinated with French and UN peacekeeping forces (Barkhane and MINUSMA). Amid mounting public protests over jihadist violence and disputed legislative elections, he was ousted in an August 2020 military coup led by Colonel Assimi Goïta, resigning to prevent bloodshed.