Eurasia Press & News
Mali’s president-elect Ibrahim Boubacar Keita began the daunting task on Tuesday of planning the country’s recovery from political crisis, a military coup and war after his rival conceded defeat at the polls.
Official results from the nationwide vote have not been announced, but Somaila Cisse congratulated Keita on his victory late on Monday after electoral sources revealed that the former premier was comfortably ahead with two-thirds of Sunday’s votes counted.
“I went to see him to congratulate him and wish him good luck for Mali,” Cisse told reporters.
Mali’s first election since 2007 was seen as crucial for unlocking more than $4 billion (three billion euros) pledged by international donors who halted aid in the wake of last year’s coup, which ignited an extremist insurgency and a French military offensive.
The government has until on Friday to make public the result of the run-off round of the voting, called after none of the 27 candidates in the first round on July 28 secured an outright majority.
