Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga

Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga (French pronunciation: [sumelu bubɛj maiga]; 8 June 1954 – 21 March 2022) was a Malian politician who was the Prime Minister of Mali between 30 December 2017 and 18 April 2019.[1] The leader of the Alliance for Solidarity in Mali, he had previously served in the government of Mali as Minister of Foreign Affairs under President Amadou Toumani Touré from 5 April 2011[2] until the March 2012 coup d'état. Later he was Minister of Defense from 2013 to 2014 and was Secretary-General of the Presidency from 2016 to 2017.

Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga
Maïga in 2019
Prime Minister of Mali
In office
30 December 2017 – 18 April 2019
PresidentIbrahim Boubacar Keïta
Preceded byAbdoulaye Idrissa Maïga
Succeeded byBoubou Cissé
Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs
In office
8 September 2013 – 28 May 2014
PresidentIbrahim Boubacar Keïta
Prime MinisterOumar Tatam Ly
Moussa Mara
Preceded byYamoussa Camara
Succeeded byBah N'Daw
Foreign Minister of Mali
In office
6 April 2011 – 22 March 2012
PresidentAmadou Toumani Touré
Prime MinisterCissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé
Preceded byMoctar Ouane
Succeeded bySadio Lamine Sow
Personal details
Born(1954-06-08)8 June 1954
Gao, French Sudan, French West Africa, France
(now Mali)
Died21 March 2022(2022-03-21) (aged 67)
Bamako, Mali
NationalityMalian
Political partyAlliance for Solidarity in Mali

Early life and career

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Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga was born in Gao on 8 June 1954.[3] He studied journalism from Cheikh Anta Diop University's Center for the Study of Information Science and Technology.[3] In 1987, he graduated from the Paris-Sud University with a Diploma of Specialized Higher Studies (DESS) in diplomacy and international organisation management.[3] Soumeylou also held a master's degree in international economic relations from Paris's Institut d'administration.[3] He began his career as a journalist at L'Essor and then worked at the Malian Press and Advertising Agency's magazine Sunjata.[3]

Political career

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Maïga (left) with António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on 29 May 2018 in Bamako, Mali.

As first vice-president of ADEMA-PASJ, Maïga opposed the party's decision to support President Amadou Toumani Touré's bid for re-election in the April 2007 presidential election, and he was consequently expelled from the party.[4]

Along with several other ministers, he was arrested during the coup when rebel soldiers stormed the presidential palace on 22 March 2012.[5] On 25 March, he began a hunger strike along with 13 other arrested officials to protest his detention.[6]

After Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta won the 2013 presidential election, Maïga was appointed to the government as Minister of Defense on 8 September 2013.[7] He was replaced by Bah Ndaw following the army's defeat at the hands of Tuareg rebels in Kidal in May 2014. Although some blamed him for the defeat, others believed he was being used as a scapegoat.[8]

On 29 August 2016, he was appointed Secretary-General of the Presidency with the rank of minister.[9]

Maïga was named Prime Minister on 30 December 2017.[10][1] He resigned on 18 April 2019 amid public protests following the Ogossagou massacre.[1][11]

Personal life and death

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Maiga died in detention in Bamako on 21 March 2022 at the age of 67.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Mali Prime Minister Soumeylou-Boubeye Maiga resigns". Ecofinagency.com. 19 April 2019.
  2. ^ Adam Thiam (18 April 2012). "Mali : Boubèye Maïga, les raisons d'un retour". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga, nommé Premier ministre du Mali". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Jeuneafrique.com : Soumeylou Boubèye Maiga exclu de l'ADEMA". 30 September 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Mali president 'safe' after fleeing from overnight rebel coup". Al Arabiya. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Mali officials stage hunger strike to protest coup". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Associated Press. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  7. ^ "Gouvernement malien : Boubèye Maïga à la Défense, création d'un ministère chargé du Nord – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Ripples from Kidal". africa-confidential.com. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  9. ^ Sinaly M. Daou, "Mali : Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga nommé Secrétaire General de la Présidence avec rang de ministre : L’ancien Directeur de la DGSE revient avec force", L'Observatoire, 3 September 2016 (in French).
  10. ^ "Mali: l'ex-ministre de la Défense Soumeylou Boubèye Maiga nommé Premier ministre". Jeune Afrique. 30 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Mali's PM Maiga, government resign over Ogossagou massacre". Al Jazeera. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  12. ^ "Mali : l'ancien Premier ministre Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga est mort". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 21 March 2022.
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Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Mali
2017–2019
Succeeded by