Dioncounda Traoré (born 23 February 1942) is a Malian politician who was President of Mali in an interim capacity from April 2012 to September 2013.

[3][5] He was elected to the National Assembly as a Deputy from Nara in 1997 and resigned as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on 24 August 1997 to take his seat.

[9][10] Following the March 2012 military coup, which precipitated economic sanctions and a blockade by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against Mali, a deal, brokered in Burkina Faso by President Blaise Compaoré under the auspices of ECOWAS, was signed on 6 April 2012 that would see the head of the military junta, Captain Amadou Sanogo, cede power to Dioncounda Traoré to assume the presidency in an interim capacity until an election could be held.

He pledged to "wage a total and relentless war" on the Tuareg rebellion in Mali's north unless it relinquished its control of northern Malian cities and its declared state of Azawad.

[16] The demonstrators, who had been carrying a mock coffin with Traoré's name written on it,[17] fought past two Red Beret guards to attack him.

PM Cheick Modibo Diarra called for calm and an end to protest marches, stating that the attack was "not worthy of our country".

[23] On 5 June 2012, coup supporters Boubacar Bore, Yacouba Niare and Mamadou Sangare were arrested in connection with the attack.

[18] After leaving office in 2013, Traoré headed the African Union's observer mission for the April 2016 presidential election in Chad.