Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta

Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (29 January 1945 – 16 January 2022), often known by his initials IBK, was a Malian politician who served as the president of Mali from September 2013 to August 2020, when he was forced to resign in the 2020 Malian coup d'état. He served as Mali's prime minister from February 1994 to February 2000 and as president of the National Assembly of Mali from September 2002 to September 2007.

Quotes

• Talking with jihadists and fighting terrorism is not contradictory.

• I have a duty and a mission today to create all possible spaces and to do everything possible so that, by one means or another, some kind of appeasement can be achieved. It's time certain avenues were explored.

• We're going to try and do what the people want, like with the jirga in Afghanistan, to put it into practice, and we're trying to do it without being naive, we're not gullible. We'll continue with our work, with our duty, but we want to make sure that we will no longer be stubborn about things, stuck, or obtuse.
  • Mali’s president admits to holding talks with senior jihadist leaders; By FRANCE 24, retrieved on 10/02/2020

• I personally called for a general mobilization of all Malian citizens, to make the response to Ebola a major national cause, with everyone, at all levels, committed: elected officials, traditional leaders, religious leaders, teachers, artists and the general public. Everyone must do their utmost to raise awareness and send prevention messages so that Ebola is soon no more than an unpleasant memory.

• We believe we need to strengthen our permanent crisis committee in Mali, which can be activated as soon as a crisis arises in one of our region’s countries. The Economic Community of West African States should also have a rapid response mechanism that includes 15 countries, so that the response from the region is a coordinated one. The same mechanism should exist in all regions of Africa and the whole world.

• Yes. It is essential that states continue to support each other and that warning mechanisms be established on an international level to enable a global response adapted to each setting, regardless of its nature.
  • Interview: President of Mali on the Ebola crisis;By Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, retrieved on Dec 8, 2014