Ousted Malian president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has died, his family says

Keïta, known by his initials IBK, won more than 77 percent of the vote in Mali’s 2013 election to restore democracy after his predecessor was chased from office by the military. He promised to soothe national tensions.

“Kati,” the military base where predecessor Amadou Toumani Touré was toppled, will no longer scare Bamako,” he said. Years later, the uprising that would overthrow Keïta would begin there too.

Keïta enjoyed early support in Malians and from former colonizer France and other Western allies. He was reelected to a second five-year term in 2018. But security challenges grew, as did Malians’ impatience for solutions.

The government struggled to fight the world’s fastest-growing Islamist insurgency, which expanded significantly into central Mali during his administration. In August 2020, soldiers stormed Bamako and arrested Keïta, further destabilizing the nation.

Keïta’s popularity plummeted as Mali descended deeper into conflict. In the weeks leading up to his removal, protests raged. Tens of thousands demanded his resignation amid a coronavirus outbreak, a failing economy and the growing insurgency. Protesters accused him of prioritizing the interests of Paris over the Malian people.

Social media blitzes against France and democracy in Mali, laced with pro-Moscow messages, went viral, leading researchers to infer that disinformation campaigns propelled public discontent.

Hours after he was detained, Keïta resigned on state television. “I wish no blood to be shed to keep me in power,” Keïta said. “I have decided to step down from office.”

A second coup d’etat was staged nine months later, as the military took power from the nation’s interim president and prime minister in May 2021.

Keïta studied in Bamako, Dakar, Senegal and Paris before entering politics. He served as ambassador to neighboring nations including the Ivory Coast, diplomatic adviser to President Alpha Oumar Konare, prime minister and National Assembly president.

He is survived by his wife, Aminata Maiga Keïta, and their four children.

Danielle Paquette contributed to this report.

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