Mali Ex-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita Is Dead

Mali’s former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who led the West African country from 2013 until he was ousted in a coup in 2020, died at the age of 76 in the capital Bamako on Sunday, his family said.

The cause of death was not yet clear. A former advisor told Reuters that he died at home in the capital Bamako.

“President IBK died this morning at 0900 GMT in his home” in Bamako, a family member told Agency France-Presse (AFP) using the ex-leader’s initials, with several other family members confirming his passing.

Keita, known as IBK, ran the West African country from September 2013 to August 2020, a turbulent period that saw a violent insurgency take over large areas of the centre and north, helping drain his popularity.

He was forced out by a military coup after months of anti-government protests.