Leadership Transition at Foreign Ministry General Secretariat

Bamako, January 22, 2026 - A handover ceremony was held at the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, marking the transition between Ambassador Moustapha Traoré, the new Secretary General, and Ambassador Seydou Coulibaly, the outgoing Secretary General. Following the ceremony, Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop received both diplomats in the presence of cabinet members, senior officials, directors, and department heads. The meeting provided an opportunity to express appreciation for their service, congratulate them on the confidence placed in them, and outline expectations for the future of Malian diplomacy amid geopolitical challenges and ongoing governance reforms. Ambassador Traoré officially assumed his duties as Secretary General, while Ambassador Coulibaly departed for Luanda, Angola, to take up his new post as Head of the Malian Embassy. Both diplomats reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Malian diplomacy in the service of peace, security, and sustainable development, under the leadership of Minister Diop.