The coup d’état that occurred in Bamako in March 2012 brought a previously unknown
army captain named Amadou Sanogo to power. This paper analyses Malian media reports
to explore how Sanogo and his associates sought to legitimize their takeover with
reference to local conceptions of heroism, power and destiny, and how Sanogo’s public
image resonated with time-honoured narratives about heroic figures in Malian culture.
This case demonstrates that understanding religious worldviews is essential for understanding
the workings of political power.
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