BAMAKO: Former prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita came first in Mali's presidential election but he will face ex-finance minister Soumaila Cisse in a run off after he failed to secure an outright majority, the government said on Friday.

Keita secured 39.24 percent of the vote in the July 28 poll, well ahead of Cisse on 19.44 percent, Moussa Sinko Coulibaly, Mali's minister of territorial administration said. The run off will be held on Aug. 11.