Amadou Toumani Touré
| Amadou Toumani Touré | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| President of Mali | |
|
In office 8 June 2002 – 22 March 2012 |
|
| Prime Minister |
Ahmed Mohamed ag Hamani Ousmane Issoufi Maïga Modibo Sidibé Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé |
| Preceded by | Alpha Oumar Konaré |
| Succeeded by | Amadou Sanogo (Chairperson of the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State) |
|
In office 26 March 1991 – 8 June 1992 |
|
| Prime Minister | Soumana Sacko |
| Preceded by | Moussa Traoré |
| Succeeded by | Alpha Oumar Konaré |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
4 November 1948 Mopti, French Sudan (now Mali) |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Lobbo Traore |
| Religion | Islam |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | Army |
Amadou Toumani Touré (born 4 November 1948; also known as "ATT") is a Malian politician who was President of Mali from 2002 to 2012.
Touré was head of President Moussa Traoré's personal guard (and parachute regiment) when a popular revolution overthrew the regime in March 1991 and Colonel Touré arrested the President and led the revolution. He presided over a year-long military-civilian transition process that produced a new Constitution and multiparty elections; Touré handed power to Mali's first democratically elected president, Alpha Oumar Konaré, on 6 June 1992. Konaré promoted Touré to the rank of General.
Ten years later, after retiring from the army, he entered politics as a civilian and won the 2002 presidential election with a broad coalition of support. He was easily re-elected in 2007 to a second and final term. On 22 March 2012, shortly before his scheduled departure from office, disgruntled soldiers initiated a coup d'état that forced him into hiding. As part of the agreement to restore constitutional order to Mali, Touré resigned from the presidency on 8 April, and eleven days later he went into exile.
Touré is member of the Earth Charter International Commission.
Amadou Toumani Touré was born on 4 November 1948, in Mopti, where he attended primary school. Between 1966 and 1969, he attended Badalabougou Standard Secondary School in Bamako in order to become a teacher. Eventually, he joined the army and attended the Kati Inter-Military College. As a member of the Parachute Corps, he rose quickly through the ranks and after numerous training courses in the Soviet Union and France, he became the commander of the parachute commandos in 1984.
In March 1991, after the violent suppression of anti-government demonstrations turned into a popular revolution against 23 years of military rule, the armed forces refused to fire any longer on the Malian people and Touré - head of the presidential guard - arrested President Moussa Traoré. Known universally by his initials ATT, Colonel Touré (as he then was) became leader of the Transitional Committee for the Welfare of the People and acting head of state throughout the committee's efforts to transition the country's government to democracy. He presided over the national conference that between 29 July and 13 August 1991 drew up the Constitution of Mali and scheduled the legislative and presidential elections of 1992. After the results of the elections became known, Touré handed over power to the newly elected president, Alpha Oumar Konaré. Following his voluntary departure from office, he gained the nickname "The Soldier of Democracy."
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