President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has conveyed a message of warmest congratulations to the Republic of Mali on the auspicious occasion commemorating the 56^th Independence Anniversary of that country.

September 22 commemorates the independence of Mali from France as the Republic of Mali in 1960. Mali was colonized by France in 1892. The colony was known as French Sudan and was administered as part of the Federation of French West Africa. In 1959, Senegal and the Sudanese Republic formed the Federation of Mali and on June 20, 1960, the Federation became fully independent from France. Two months later, Senegal withdrew from the Federation of Mali. On September 22, 1960, the former Sudanese Republic gained independence as the Republic of Mali.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, in the message to her Malian counterpart, His Excellency Mr. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, President Sirleaf expressed fervent hope that the Almighty Allah will endow President Keita with abundant wisdom and strength to lead his compatriots to greater prosperity.