condemned to death for "political crimes", largely focused on the killing of around 300 pro-democracy demonstrators in Bamako, but his sentence was later commuted. In 1999 he was once more condemned to death with his wife Mariam Traoré, for "economic crimes": the embezzling of the equivalent of US$350,000 during his rule. President Alpha Oumar Konaré commuted these sentences to life imprisonment. Shortly before leaving office, on 29 May 2002, he further pardoned the couple, for the sake of national reconciliation, a stance which incoming president Amadou Toumani Touré championed. Traoré's once reviled legacy somewhat softened under Touré, with the former dictator recognised at least informally as a former head of state and many former supporters now rallying around Chogel Maiga's Patriotic Movement for Renewal party (Mouvement Patriotique pour le Renouveau, MPR). Both Traoré and his wife retired from public life, in part due to ill health. Death Traoré died on 15 September 2020, ten days before his 84th birthday. References Further reading Pascal James Imperato. Traore, Gen. Moussa in Historical Dictionary of Mali, pp. 242–245. Scarecrow Press/ Metuchen. NJ – London (1986) Moussa Traoré. (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 24 October 2008, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 1936 births 2020 deaths Malian Muslims Leaders who took power by coup Leaders ousted by a coup Traoré clan members Malian military personnel Democratic Union of the Malian People politicians Malian prisoners sentenced to death Prisoners sentenced to death by Mali Recipients of Malian presidential pardons People of French West Africa People from Kayes Heads of government who were later imprisoned Muslim socialists