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Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

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World Leader

The Resume

    (January 29, 1945-January 16, 2022)
    Born in Koutiala, Mali
    Malian politician
    Founder of the political party, Rally for Mali (RPM), in 2001
    Formerly Prime Minister of Mali from 1994 to 2000
    President of the National Assembly of Mali from 2002 to 2007
    Elected President of Mali in the 2013 presidential election; sworn in on 4 September 2013
    Pictured with Charlie Hebdo shootings hero, Lassana Bathily

Why he might be annoying:

    He has been called a 'political shapeshifter.'
    He was forced to resign as both Prime Minister and as Alliance for Democracy Party Leader, in 2000.
    He accused his opponents of committing voter fraud in the aftermath of both the 2002 and 2007 Presidential election.
    He took office after a coup and French-led military action against Islamist rebels in the north.
    His ties to the military junta responsible for the coup raised eyebrows during the 2013 election (many found it suspicious that he was the only major politician not roughed up by the insurgents).
    He has a reputation as both a Francophile and a champagne-tasting playboy but reinvented himself as a robe-wearing 'Haji' who began his speeches with Koran verses.
    Some Muslim leaders questioned whether his policies were compatible with Islam, pointing to the creation of casinos and lotteries during his tenure as Prime Minister.
    Ethnic cleanisng and reprisal killings have occurred under his watch while dealing with the Northern Mali conflict (e.g. Arabs in Timbuktu after following the region's liberation from al-Qaeda control).
    He was accused of getting a French freelance reporter expelled from Mali after reporting on allegations of human rights violations in Gao and the surrounding area.
    He was called a hypocrite after showing up at the #JeSuisCharlie March despite openly restricting freedom of the press in his own country.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He taught third-world political science at the University of Paris.
    He was a technical consultant for the European Development Fund, putting together the first small-scale development plan for the EU's aid activities in Mali.
    He was the director for the French-Malian chapter of Terre des hommes, an international NGO aiding children in the developing world.
    He is identified by his constituents simply with the initials IBK.
    But, his supporters know him by the name 'Kankeletegui,' which means 'a man of his word' in the Bambara language.
    He has the reputation for being a 'strongman,' who successfully stood up to the student/trade union lobbyists in the 1990s.
    He has promoted merit-based advancement in his administration as President.
    He has an excellent working relationship with French President Francois Hollande, whom he has jointly worked with to manage the Northern Mali conflict.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 131 Votes: 60.31% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 95 Votes: 55.79% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 88.89% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 32 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 36 Votes: 47.22% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 18 Votes: 55.56% Annoying