History:

 Mali has more relevance in the History books similar to the north African state of Egypt or Sudan.  For several centuries , Mali was a center of Islamic culture and prosperity.  When  Trans Saharan routes were in use by traders in olden days, Mali was  a trding center and a Tax collection point. 

Mali was a part of the Empire of Ghana  between the 7^th and 11^th century A.D; Gold was brought from the interiors for trading with salt from the coastal regions. When Ghana declined, Mali Empire  had its rise.  The empire rose to its zenith in 14^th Century under the regime of Mansu Musa.  After the decline of Mali empire, the  whole territory became a part of the Songhai empire which covered  the modern day Guinea, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali , Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria.  Moroccan invasion in 1591 was the death knell of Songhai empire. 

In the 17^th century, Trans Atlantic  routes were more in use and the Saharan routes slipped into disuse.  Subsequently  Mali lost its status  as a strategic location on trade route.  Gradually the empire got divided into  many small kingdoms and remained like that  for two centuries  until the arrival of colonialists like the French.

Mali and Senegal together formed  a part of the French West Africa in 1895.  In 1960 Mali  and Senegal got independence as the Federation of Mali .  But with in a period of two weeks, Senegal seceded to form their own Republic.  Thus the Republic of Mali was formed. 

The first democratic government had an untimely death when , just as the case with several African nations, a military government took over the reins in 1968.  In the next 23 years, until this military ruler was brought down by another one, there were several coup attempts in Mali. 

.In 1992, due to pressure from France, the new regime agreed to discuss a new constitution and set down frame works for free elections.  The army agreed to move away from politics. A presidential election took place and a university professor  Alpha Oumar Konare and his Alliance pour la Democratie au Mali  ( ADEMA )   party came into power.  ADEMA could not contribute much to the peace and security in  Mali even though they were in power for the next ten years. “ Musical Chair “ competition for  power, strikes and horse trading by political leaders all marked the ADEMA  rule to doom.  People realized that the army ruler  who handed over his power  to democracy under the professor was far better than ADEMA.  A new political party Espoir 2002, under the leadership of the old General    Amadou Toumani Touré,   won a comfortable majority in the elections held in June 2002.  France gave full economic support to him  by canceling Mali’s debts to France with in months of assuming charge by the new president.