He was warmly received by a high-level government delegation and greeted by Marietta Brew, Le­gal Advisor to the President, at the airport on Wednesday.

The receiving entourage also in­cluded Mr Prosper Bani, National Security Advisor and other govern­ment officials.

President John Mahama

General Abdoulaye Maïga

At the time going to press, the Malian was expected to hold dis­cussions with President John Dra­mani Mahama with key areas of focus including trade, security and regional cooperation all of which are crucial for mutual growth and development.

Following his victory at the December polls and before his inauguration, President Mahama undertook visits to a number of countries in the sub region to fos­ter good neighbourliness, a key to his foreign policy.

Mali has a sizeable population in Ghana, mainly into business, trade and commerce, just as Ghanaians are also living in Mali pursuing economic activities.

Mali is one of the largest on the continent for centuries, its north­ern city of Timbuktu was a key regional trading post and centre of Islamic culture.

Once home to several pre-colo­nial empires, the landlocked, arid West African country of

After independence from France in 1960, Mali suffered droughts, rebellions, and 23 years of military dictatorship until democratic elec­tions in 1992.

Since 2012, insurgencies on both the north and central regions have gathered pace.

Following two coups in 2020 and 2021, which overthrew the civilian government, the former colonial power France withdrew its troops.

Mali has strengthened its links with Moscow, with mercenaries from the Wagner group deployed in the country.