Accountability Lab Mali is announcing a leadership transition as our current Country Director, Doussouba Konaté, steps down from her role. After several years of consistent service to a growing team, Ms. Konaté is passing the responsibilities to Deputy Director Habibou Diaou.

Ms. Konaté joined Accountability Lab in 2018 and has made significant contributions to the development and influence of the organization in Mali and the surrounding region. Under her leadership, AL Mali has strengthened its foundations, diversified its partnerships, and enhanced efforts to promote integrity and citizen participation through inclusive initiatives. She will officially step down on November 14, 2025, to pursue new projects and personal priorities.

We are excited to welcome Mr. Diaou as the new Country Director. He has been with Accountability Lab for three years and has distinguished himself through his collaborative leadership and deep understanding of governance and participation issues. His previous experience, combined with his contributions at AL Mali in recent years, makes him the ideal candidate to grow the organization and continue to provide meaningful support to our participants.

The Board of AL Mali has expressed its confidence in Mr. Diaou to lead the organization with the same commitment and vision that Ms. Konaté instilled during her tenure. Board chairperson Nana Touré expressed her gratitude to Ms. Konaté for her commitment, vision and the progress she inspired within the team. “Her leadership has marked an important milestone in our collective journey. We’re excited to also welcome our new Country Director, Mr. Habibou Diaou! May this new responsibility be filled with inspiration, collaboration, and success.”

Ms. Konaté said her time at AL Mali resulted in a stronger understanding of regional challenges – as well as the potential solutions for change. “These seven years at Accountability Lab Mali and within the Accountability Lab network have been an extraordinary journey, full of encounters, learning, and both human and intellectual experiences. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has shared this journey with me, near or far. To my successor, I leave a precious mission and a network full of potential, in a context that remains challenging, making our commitment and mission even more essential.”

Mr. Diaou thanked Ms Konaté for her generous leadership. “For the past three years, I have been blessed to have Doussouba as my closest collaborator. I witnessed her leadership, which is all about growing those around her while focusing on impact and sustainability with a genuine interest in making things better every single day.

“As the incoming Country Director of Accountability Lab Mali, leading the work we do is deeply meaningful to me and represents an opportunity to contribute to addressing the challenges of governance in my space. These challenges that we the people in the Sahel are witnessing these days stand as a reminder of how important and highly relevant our mission is, thus giving me the grit to strive for the cause of good governance and moving the needle by every single day.”

For any inquiries, please contact Global Communications Director Sheena Adams or AL Mali Country Director Habibou Diaou at [email protected] or [email protected].

Accountability Lab