Lassana Traoré is a Mali

Mali

Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...

an political figure and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs

Foreign minister

A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...

 from 2002 to 2004.

Traoré was born in Bamako

Bamako

Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...

. During the rule of Moussa Traoré

Moussa Traoré

General Moussa Traoré is a Malian soldier and politician. As a Lieutenant, he led the military ouster of President Modibo Keïta in 1968. Thereafter he served as Head of State from 1968-1979, and President of Mali from 1979 to 1991, when he was overthrown by popular protests and military coup...

, he was Deputy Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic; subsequently he was head of the cabinet of Amadou Toumani Touré

Amadou Toumani Touré

Amadou Toumani Touré is the president of Mali. He overthrew a military ruler, Moussa Traoré in 1991, then handed power to civilian authorities the next year...

 during Touré's transitional military rule from 1991 to 1992.

Traoré was Touré's campaign director during the 2002 presidential election

Malian presidential election, 2002

Mali held a presidential election in 2002 to choose the President of Mali. The first round was held on 28 April 2002 and the second round was held on 12 May...

, and after Touré's victory, he appointed Traoré as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Malians Living Abroad in the government named on June 14, 2002. Traoré served as Foreign Minister until being replaced by Moctar Ouane

Moctar Ouane

Moctar Ouane is a Malian diplomat and politician. He served in the government of Mali as Minister of Foreign Affairs from May 2004 to April 2011.-Diplomatic career:...

in 2004.