Amadou Sanogo

Sanogo is one of six children born to Mamadou Sanogo and his wife.{{cite news|last=Ahmed|first=Baba|title=How 1 man derailed 20 years of democracy in Mali|url=https://ktar.com/story/226184/how-1-man-derailed-20-years-of-democracy-in-mali/|agency=Associated Press|work=Kansas City Star|publisher=McClatchy Newspapers|date=7 July 2012|access-date=15 September 2024}} Amadou Sanogo is nicknamed "Bolly" by relatives.

Sanogo comes from Ségou, one of Mali's largest cities on the Niger River.{{cite news|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hKfcClpqsgmCJ-oqG3TRz_rPtrPg?docId=CNG.76de66623d27843aae4cf615363bc4a9.6f1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516055550/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hKfcClpqsgmCJ-oqG3TRz_rPtrPg?docId=CNG.76de66623d27843aae4cf615363bc4a9.6f1|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 May 2013|last=Daniel|first=Serge|title=Mali's Amadou Sanogo comes from obscurity to head junta|date=25 March 2012|access-date=26 May 2012}} Sanogo has spent 22 years in the Malian Armed Forces.{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2110278,00.html?xid=gonewsedit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331010459/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2110278,00.html?xid=gonewsedit|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 March 2012|title=Mali's Coup Leader: Interview with an Improbable Strongman |author=Julius Cavendish |date=28 March 2012|magazine=Time}} Before the coup, Sanogo had held a mid-level army position.{{cite news|last=Hirsch|first=Afua|title=Mali rebels claim to have ousted regime in coup|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/22/mali-rebels-coup?CMP=NECNETTXT8187|accessdate=22 March 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=22 March 2012|location=London}} A participant in the International Military Education and Training program,{{cite news|last=Whitlock|first=Craig|title=Leader of Mali military coup trained in U.S.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/leader-of-mali-military-coup-trained-in-us/2012/03/23/gIQAS7Q6WS_story.html|accessdate=5 April 2012|newspaper=Washington Post|date=24 March 2012}} he received training "at training programmes in the United States, in Georgia and at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia",{{cite web|url=https://www.kansascity.com/2012/03/23/3509584/leader-of-mali-military-coup-received.html|title=Leader of Mali military coup received US training|access-date=25 March 2012|last=Boswell|first=Alan|date=23 March 2012|work=Kansas City Star|publisher=McClatchy Newspapers}} but his American instructors "never marked him out as future leadership material". He also studied English language at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

His first actions as de facto head of state included suspending the constitution and activities of some organizations, as well as declaring a curfew and closing the borders. Though the rationale for the coup had been Amadou Toumani Touré's alleged mismanagement of the 2012 Tuareg rebellion, the Malian military lost control of the regional capitals of Kidal, Gao, and Timbuktu within ten days of Sanogo's assuming office,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17582909|title=Mali crisis: Who's who?|date=2 April 2012|agency=BBC News|access-date=5 April 2012}} leading Reuters to describe the coup as "a spectacular own-goal".{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/31/mali-rebels-assault_n_1393415.html|title=Mali Rebels Assault Gao, Northern Garrison|author=Cheick Dioura and Adama Diarra|agency=Reuters|date=31 March 2012|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=5 April 2012}} On 4 April, The New York Times reported that he was trying to deflect attention from the coup to the struggles in the north, telling a reporter, "We should forget a little the Committee, the Parliament, the Constitution — that can wait. The serious topic, it’s the north. That’s the most important."{{cite news|url=https://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/junta-leader-in-mali-tries-to-shift-focus-from-coup/|title=Junta Leader in Mali Tries to Shift Focus From Coup|last=Goodman|first=J. David|date=4 April 2012|work=The New York Times|accessdate=5 April 2012}}

Following the economic sanctions and a blockade by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the country, a deal, brokered in Burkina Faso by President Blaise Compaoré under the auspices of ECOWAS, was signed that would see Sanogo cede power to Dioncounda Traoré, who would assume the presidency in an interim capacity until an election could be held.{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/04/201246232416740914.html|title=Mali junta says power transfer 'within days'|date=7 April 2012|agency=Al Jazeera|access-date=17 April 2012}}

After the new interim President Dioncounda Traoré and Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra took office, the junta led by Sanogo made it clear that they were stepping aside only temporarily and that the junta would retain a supervisory role until the elections.{{cite web|url=http://www.northafricaunited.com/Mali-An-Analysis-of-the-Current-Situation_a1277.html|title=Mali: An Analysis of the Current Situation.|work=North Africa United|date=24 April 2012|accessdate=27 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305034833/http://www.northafricaunited.com/Mali-An-Analysis-of-the-Current-Situation_a1277.html|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|lang=hr|url=https://www.radiosarajevo.ba/novost/79819/mali-dobio-novu-vladu-|title=Mali dobio novu vladu|publisher=Radiosarajevo.ba|date=25 April 2012|access-date=27 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427050200/https://www.radiosarajevo.ba/novost/79819/mali-dobio-novu-vladu-|archive-date=27 April 2012|url-status=dead}} ECOWAS gave the interim government one year to hold elections.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

On 24 November 2012, Sanogo joined Malian religious leaders to speak at a Bamako rally against religious extremism.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/11/24/world/africa/ap-af-mali-anti-extremism-rally.html |title=Malians Rally Against Religious Extremism|agency=Associated Press|date=24 November 2012|work=The New York Times|access-date=26 November 2012|archive-date=26 May 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240526093421/https://www.webcitation.org/6CSsXmCQA?url=http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/11/24/world/africa/ap-af-mali-anti-extremism-rally.html|url-status=live}}

On 11 December 2012, Prime Minister Modibo Diarra was arrested by Sanogo's junta and forced to resign.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20674573|title=Mali PM Cheick Modibo Diarra resigns after army arrest|agency=BBC News|date=11 December 2012|access-date=15 September 2024}} The move, which was condemned by ECOWAS, was followed the same day by the appointment of Django Sissoko as Prime Minister.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20687562|title=Django Sissoko named as Mali prime minister|agency=BBC News|date=11 December 2012|access-date=15 September 2024}}

Following the election of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita as President, Sanogo was promoted to the rank of four-star general on 14 August 2013; it was believed that the move was part of an effort to convince Sanogo to retire, enabling him to do so with dignity. Shortly before Keita was sworn in as President, Sanogo was dismissed from his post as head of a military reform committee on 28 August 2013.{{cite news|url=https://www.news24.com/News24/Mali-coup-leader-fired-20130829|title=Mali coup leader fired|agency=News24|date=29 August 2013|access-date=15 September 2024}}

On 27 November 2013, Sanogo was arrested and charged with complicity in the kidnapping and disappearance of rivals within the Malian military. He remains in detention while awaiting trial.{{cite news|last=Diarra|first=Adama|title=Mass grave with 21 bodies found near Mali military base|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mali-soldiers-idUSBRE9B317W20131204|agency=Associated Press|date=4 December 2013|accessdate=8 December 2013}}

In January 2020, it was announced that Sanogo would be released pending his upcoming trial. This was in accordance with a court decision ordering Sanogo's release after Sanogo's trial date was postponed at the last minute.[https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/01/mali-former-junta-leader-to-walk-free-while-trial-date-pends "Mali: Former junta leader to walk free while trial date pends"], Amnesty International, 28 January 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2024.

{{Commons category|Amadou Sanogo}}

{{Portal|Mali|Biography}}

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{{s-bef|before=Amadou Toumani Touré|as=President of Mali}}

{{s-ttl|title=Chairman of the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State of Mali|years=2012}}

{{s-aft|after=Dioncounda Traoré|as=Acting President of Mali}}

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Category:1970s births

Category:Living people

Category:Leaders who took power by coup

Category:Malian military personnel

Category:Year of birth uncertain

Category:People from Ségou

Category:21st-century Malian people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:People of the Mali War