OIC secretary general congratulates Mali for restoration of democracy

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has expressed his satisfaction over the good democratic spirit which prevailed in Mali during the run-off of the Presidential election held on August 11. Ihsanoglu commended Malians for their faith in democracy by holding peaceful, free and fair elections, affording them the possibility of choosing a democratically elected new President who would serve the mandate of restoring durable peace through a process of national reconciliation and promote sustainable socio-economic development. The OIC Secretary General also praised the two presidential candidates and their supporters for their patriotism and saluted the challenger for his prompt acceptance of the outcome in the overall interest of his nation. Ihsanoglu then congratulated the winner of Mali's presidency, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, for the confidence reposed in him by the electorate and assured him of the support and cooperation of the OIC and its Member States to face challenges ahead. For several decades after independence from France in 1960, West African country of Mali, one of the poorest in the world, suffered droughts, rebellions, a coup and 23 years of military dictatorship until democratic elections in 1992. The country saw a  flourishing democracy and relative social stability in the 1990s but the stability was interrupted in early 2012 when the state control over the north of the country decreased with unrest followed by a military coup that later caused a French military intervention. France sent troops to Mali in January 2013 to push Islamist rebels, who threatened to advance south, out from the north and it began withdrawing some of its troops from the country in April handing over its military role to a UN-mandated African force.