Mali adopted its current flag without the kanaga figure on what date?

Mali adopted its current flag without the Kanaga figure on 1 March 1961. The change removed the black human-like symbol from the gold stripe, leaving the familiar vertical green, gold and red tricolour.

Mali’s original flag was adopted on 4 April 1959, when the country was part of the Mali Federation. That earlier version carried a black Kanaga on the central gold band. The Kanaga is a stylized figure associated with Dogon visual culture and is often described in flag references as a person with raised arms.

After the Federation dissolved and the Republic of Mali emerged, the figure was removed. The change is generally linked to opposition from Muslim groups concerned about depicting a human figure, reflecting the broader Islamic tradition of aniconism. The revised flag retained the Pan-African colour scheme: green, gold and red.

The date can be confused with nearby milestones. 4 April 1959 marks the earlier Federation flag, while 22 September 1960 marks Mali’s independence. Neither date is the adoption date of the current Kanaga-free design. Mali’s flag is also easily mistaken for Guinea’s because both use the same colours; their stripe orders are reversed.