Ousmane Issoufi Maïga

Template:Short description Ousmane Issoufi Maïga (born 1946)<ref name=Kpatinde>Template:Cite news</ref> was the Prime Minister of Mali from 2004 to 2007. Issoufi had previously held several ministerial posts in previous governments.

Issoufi was born near Gao, in the north of Mali.<ref name=Kpatinde/> He studied economics at the University of Kyiv (Ukraine ― at the time part of the USSR) and then at the American University in Washington, DC, where he graduated with a degree in banking and finance. He has worked for the World Bank and in the French Ministry of Finance, where he was Assistant Director of the Caisse autonome d’amortissement (Autonomous Debt Financing Fund).<ref name=Nomme>"Ousmane Issoufi Maïga nommé Premier ministre : style direct, expérience éprouvée"Template:Dead link, L'Essor, n°15196, April 30, 2002 Template:In lang. Template:Dead link</ref>

Following the ouster of Moussa Traoré in March 1991, Maïga became Minister in charge of the State Contrôle Général in the transitional government. He later became Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance before being appointed Minister of Youth and Sports on June 23, 2001. In this position, he organised Mali's hosting of the African Nations Cup in 2002.<ref name=Nomme/>Template:Dead link

After the election of Amadou Toumani Touré as President, Issoufi became Minister of the Economy and Finance on June 14, 2002, serving under Prime Minister Ahmed Mohamed ag Hamani.<ref>"Le nouveau gouvernement du Mali formé le 14 juin 2002" Template:Webarchive, Afrique Express, N° 251, June 18, 2002 Template:In lang.</ref> Subsequently, in the government named on October 16, 2002, he became Minister of Equipment and Transport.<ref>"Le gouvernement du Mali, formé le 16 octobre 2002" Template:Webarchive, Afrique Express, N°258, November 4, 2002.</ref><ref>"Le nouveau gouvernement du Mali"Template:Dead link, L'Essor, October 17, 2002 Template:In lang. Template:Dead link</ref>

He remained Minister of Equipment and Transport until he was named Prime Minister on April 29, 2004.<ref name=Nomme/>Template:Dead link<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After Touré was sworn in for a second term as President, Maïga presented his resignation on June 9, 2007, but Touré asked the government to remain in place. Following the July 2007 parliamentary election, he again presented his government's resignation, which Touré accepted, on September 27, 2007. Touré thanked him for his work as Prime Minister<ref name=Demission>"Démission du Gouvernement"Template:Dead link, L'Essor, n°16042, September 28, 2007 Template:In lang. Template:Dead link</ref> and appointed Modibo Sidibé as his successor on September 28.<ref>"Mali: le secrétaire général de la présidence nommé Premier ministre", AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), September 28, 2007 Template:In lang. Template:Dead link</ref>