France congratulated Mali on the smooth running of its first presidential election since a military coup in March 2012. The al Qaeda-linked Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) had threatened to target voters, election officials, and government and military sites. Although the vote count will not be complete until later this week, initial reports suggested that favorite Ibrahim Boubacar Keita is in the lead and may be able to avoid a runoff election.
