Mahmadou Jolleh Bande
Mahmadou Jolleh Bande | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Jolleh Bande at the 2012 CBS summit. | |
| President of Mabifia | |
| Assumed office 12 June 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Hassan Babangida |
| Premier of Mabifia | |
| In office 18 February 1991 – 12 June 1997 | |
| President | Hassan Babangida |
| Preceded by | Usman Bello |
| Succeeded by | Susso Traoré |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 30, 1958 Kangesare, Mabifian Democratic Republic |
| Nationality | Mabifia |
| Political party | Bahian Renaissance Party |
| Spouse(s) | Amina Jolleh Bande Aïssata Jolleh Bande |
| Religion | Irfan |
| Ethnic group | Ndjarendie |
Mahmadou Jolleh Bande (born April 30 1958) is a Mabifian politician currently serving as President of Mabifia since June 1997. He had previously held other positions, such as Premier and several ministerial positions. Regarded as the protégé of former President Hassan Babangida, Mahmadou Jolleh Bande was selected by the Bahian Renaissance Party after Babangida's retirement as their candidate for the 1997 elections. A hardliner within the party, Jolleh Bande's rise to power is often regarded as one of the key factors which led to the recommencement of violence within the Makanian Confict and has been accompanied by repression of journalists and opposition voices.
Elected again in 2004, 2011 and 2018, Jolleh Bande has consistently campaigned on a platform of Bahian nationalism, conservatism and economic liberalism. He has been accused of numerous human rights breaches, particularly surrounding his involvement in the Makanian Conflict and the herder-farmer conflicts in the Boual ka Bifie where he is accused of arming ethnic Ndjarendie and Mourâhiline militias which have been accused of ethnic cleansing. Opposition politicians routinely face harassment. Jolleh Bande and his family have also been accused of corrution, with reports from overseas investigators claiming that Jolleh Bande has received a large share of the nation's oil wealth.