Mali’s president has tumour on the neck

Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita underwent an operation at a hospital in Paris this week as part of treatment for a benign tumour on his neck, the presidency said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Keita, 71, who has served as president of the West African nation since 2013, was operated on for a parathyroid adenoma in a procedure on Tuesday described by the presidency as routine.

“The after effects are generally simple … The recovery is progressing normally,” the statement said.

West and Central African nations, home to a number of long-serving leaders, often lack transparency with regards to the health of heads of state, a fact that regularly fuels rumours of serious illness