Mansa Musa ruled for the next 25 years and used Mali's military might to control the trade routes of the Sahara and the Niger River, greatly expanding the wealth and power of the empire.

Listeners swayed as the celebrated Malian duo Amadou and Mariam sang from a stage on the banks of the Niger River at an ...

The Mali Empire under Musa reflected Africa at one of the summits of its grandeur. But perhaps it is also a somber reminder of what an independent, flourishing Africa could have become.