Ibrahim Boubacar Keita

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita: Mali's next president will be tasked with not only rebuilding the country's shattered economy but also resolving a simmering separatist movement in the far north. Voters heading to the polls on Sunday said they wanted a leader who could bring a lasting calm to the country following a year and a half of turmoil, according to CBC. "People are saying 'Will the turnout be what we hope?' but I am certain it will be," Keita told reporters in Bamako after casting his own ballot. "And the rain here is a blessing and a good sign." From the ancient desert town of Timbuktu to refugee camps in neighbouring countries, voters chose Sunday who should lead Mali out of the political upheaval that left the country's north in the hands of al-Qaeda-linked militants for much of last year. It was former Prime Minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's race to lose after winning nearly 40 per cent of the first-round vote and receiving endorsements from almost all the other candidates. He faced former Finance Minister Soumaila Cisse, and results are expected by Friday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.