Former military ruler of Mali, Moussa Traore, is dead.
He was aged 83.
Traore ruled the West African nation for 22 years.
Traoré – a Malian soldier, politician, and dictator – rose to power in 1968 after leading the military in a coup against President Modibo Keïta. In March 1991, he was overthrown by popular protests and a military coup that brought in Col. Amadou Toumani Touré.
He was twice condemned to death in the 1990s, but eventually pardoned on both occasions and freed in 2002.
He retired from public life and died in 2020.
Traore’s death comes just a month after another coup in Mali against immediate former president Ibrahim Keita.
Keita was removed from office by the military on 18 August following weeks of protests against his regime.
He was held in detention for 10 days after his ouster, with the military justifying the move saying it was necessary for his own security.
He was flown abroad for medical treatment upon his release.