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The 'Mali Federation' was a
country in
West Africa. It was formed by a union between
Senegal and
Mali (known at the time as the
French Sudan). It was founded on
April 4 1959 and became entirely self-governing when it gained independence from
France on
June 20 1960.
The Federation's
president was
Modibo Keita, and its government was based in
Dakar. It collapsed shortly after independence when Senegal withdrew on
20 August due to political disagreements.