Mali
Reports on Mali See all →
Mali’s two wars
Mali, aided by France and several other countries in the region, is waging a war against jihadist terrorists based in the north of its territory. But Bamako is also conducting a political, social and economic war against ethnic populations in the north who want more autonomy. Though France’s involvement has kept the Malian government stable, more and more officials are asking why it should continue, given Bamako’s and Paris’s seemingly divergent goals.
Africa needs Europe’s help to redraw its borders
Many African countries are suffering from conflict. Tribal and religious differences are involved, along with the division of natural resources. In some cases a strong leader may bring stability, but many experts advocate African federalism – the creation of subsidiary entities within the states. The borders inherited from the colonial ...
Mali’s fire still smoulders despite French intervention
The Islamist and Tuareg forces which disrupted Mali have been driven into neighbouring countries, but their networks have not been wiped out. With elections only weeks away – in theory - there are still major questions to be answered, such as what is the basis of keeping the peace and ...
Alarm grows as Islamic extremism takes hold in Africa
The spread of Islamic jihadi groups in Africa is causing growing concern in the West. Many of the militant groups in Africa have locally-based goals in contrast to the global aims espoused by Islamic extremists in other parts of the world. But they do still present a major challenge for ...
Why French troops have moved into Mali
French President Francois Hollande moved swiftly to place troops in Mali to stop northern jihadist terrorists threatening the capital and controlling the country. His action ran counter to his earlier claims that France would not intervene. But France may have strong geopolitical reasons for the intervention, but the war is ...
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