Mali Swear In Interim Civilian President

Three weeks after a record-shattering putsch that destabilised one of Africa's hitherto most stable democracies, Mali on Thursday swore in a provisional president, in a move that marks the dawn of the country's official return to democracy.

Dioncounda Traore, who was Speaker of the National Assembly until the March 22 coup, was sworn in by Supreme Court President, Nouhoum Tapily at a concise ceremony in the capital city of Bamako.