Mali’s ex-Prime Minister Soumeylou Maiga dies in detention

Mali’s former Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga died on Monday in the capital, Bamako, a close relative of his family announced.

Maiga, who served as prime minister of Mali from 2017 until 2019, was 67.

He remained an influential figure in security policy in Mali and the surrounding Sahel region and had been detained since August 2021 when the country was taken over by a military junta. His requests for medical evacuation had been refused by the military rulers of the West African country.

Maiga’s state of health deteriorated sharply a few days ago and approval for him to be moved from Mali for treatment was being considered but did not happen in time, according to a relative who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press on the situation. Maiga died in a clinic, he said.

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