Mali: A Guide To The Conflict - Foreign Affairs - Nairaland
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| Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by na2day(m): 5:53pm On Jan 16, 2013 |
 1. The issue at a glance France last week launched air strikes against Islamist camps and mobile forces in Mali, its former colony, to stop a rebel offensive and "safeguard" Mali's existence. President François Hollande said France intended to "destroy" the Islamists or take them captive if possible. Islamists have warned that French troops will become bogged down for years. 2. Brief history After gaining independence in 1960, Mali endured decades of instability until Alpha Oumar Konaré was elected president in the country's first democratic election in 1992. He was succeeded in 2002 by Amadou Toumani Touré, a former army lieutenant-colonel who ruled until a coup launched last year by a group of young officers angry at the military's failure to stop Islamist insurgents. 3. Why is Mali politically significant? The west and Mali's neighbours fear that the Islamists, who took over northern Mali, an area the size of France of desert and rugged mountains, will use the country to destabilise the rest of west Africa, including neighbouring Niger, France's main source of uranium for its nuclear industry. Nigeria already faces a growing Islamist threat in Boko Haram; its president, Goodluck Jonathan, has said: "We can no longer surrender any part of the globe to extremism." Bamako, the capital, is also home to about 6,000 French citizens. 4. How did the rebels get so far? Relations between the north and south have been historically fraught. The north has chafed under southern rule; the region has seen major rebellions from the Tuareg – nomadic – communities who feel marginalised in an already poor country. There have been rebellions in the 1990s, 2006-08 and the one last year that precipitated the present crisis. According to the International Crisis Group, a Brussels thinktank, deep resentment was caused by stories of massacres, the poisoning of wells and forced exile from 1963, score-settling by pro-government militias against Tuareg civilians in the 1990s. The 2012 rebellion was partly an unintended consequence of Muammar Gaddafi's downfall in Libya. The Libyan "blowback" took the form of an influx of Libyan weapons and the return of Tuaregs who formerly fought for the Libyan dictator. Those weapons and the presence of seasoned fighters tipped the balance. In early 2012, the rebels swept aside government troops in the north and started imposing sharia law. They banned smoking and music and made women wear headscarves. Timbuktu proved a key moment in the rebellion, as the hardline Islamist groups MUJWA and Ansar Dine, backed by AQIM, al-Qaida's north African wing, took the ascendancy over the more secular group, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA). In a move reminiscent of the destruction of the Buddha statues in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, Islamist militants damaged Sufi tombs inside a 15th-century mosque in Timbuktu. Ansar Dine displaced MNLA as the main rebel group, thanks to AQIM's financial support. It has managed to recruit some elements of the MNLA by paying them. 5. What was the effect of the rebel success on the south? The initial rebel gains were the final straw for an already disgruntled military. Junior officers had long been unhappy with Touré as they were passed over for promotion in favour of officers from Touré's generation. The increasing number of western hostages captured in neighbouring countries and whisked to northern Mali, described as AQIM's sanctuary, further damaged Touré's reputation. At the end of 2010, AQIM had reportedly received €50m worth of ransom money since 2003, with each western hostage worth around €2.5m to the countries that paid up. In March 2012, a junta consisting of junior officers led by Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo attacked the presidential palace just weeks before scheduled elections. The mutineers said they acted because of the government's failure to provide adequate equipment to the army to defend the country's territorial integrity. A massacre of about 20 soldiers at Aguelhoc in particular incensed the officers. Before the coup, the rebels needed only two months to capture several positions, including Tessalit and Amachach. After the coup, an increasingly disorganised army abandoned three regional capitals, Kidal, Timbuktu and Gao. 6. What happens next? Despite bombardments from French warplanes and helicopters, the insurgents pushed south towards the capital, Bamako, and overran the central town of Diabaly, 250 miles to the north, where French troops are heading. The French defence minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, described the Islamists as heavily armed, very determined and very well organised – a French helicopter was shot down on the first day of the strikes. France, which plans to deploy 2,500 soldiers, says the offensive against the rebels could take some time, and the current French level of involvement could last weeks. France's move has won the unanimous backing of the UN security council and its force has been deployed under UN security council resolution 2085. Passed in December, it allows for a 3,000-strong African-led mission to intervene in Mali in the absence of any negotiated solution. Paris wants troops from Ecowas, the west African regional grouping, to deploy as quickly as possible, rather than September – the original timetable for the UN-sanctioned African force – to be backed by western logistics, money and intelligence services. However, [size=13pt]Nigeria, which is due to lead the mission, has warned that even if some troops arrive in Mali soon, their training and equipping will take more time. One senior government adviser in Nigeria said the Mali deployment was stretching the country's military, which already has peacekeepers in Darfur, Sudan. "The whole thing's a mess," he told Reuters. "We don't have any troops with experience of those extreme conditions, even of how to keep all that sand from ruining your equipment. And we're facing battle-hardened guys who live in those dunes."[/size] 7. Key issues For now, the rebels have fled Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu, but the concern is whether the government can exert lasting control and provide security as the Islamists, experienced and highly motivated desert fighters, resort to hit-and-run tactics. Analysts say that Mali needs credible brokers rather than President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, who is distrusted by Malians. There is not much faith either in Romano Prodi, the former Italian prime minister and UN envoy of the Sahel crisis, who does not speak French and is not an expert in the region. Algeria is a key player as it is in the position of putting the most pressure on armed groups based there and its intelligence services have longstanding relations with Ansar Dine's leader, Iyad Ag Ghali. It also has long history with AQIM, as many of the group's fighters are former Algerian rebels. A big fear among analysts such as the International Crisis Group is that Mali will be seen through a "war on terror" prism, sidelining the fundamental issue of how to reconcile north and south. The north feels the south never lived up to the "national pact" of the 1990s, with its plans of gradual demilitarisation of the north, integration of rebels into special units of the national forces and economic plans to narrow the gap between north and south. 8. Key players François Hollande The French president, whose decision has received broad political support for now, felt he had little choice but to intervene given the real possibility of the Islamists taking over all of Mali. So Hollande is following in the footsteps of his predecessors from Charles de Gaulle to Nicolas Sarkozy by intervening in a former French African colony. So far the public is backing him, but that can soon change if French troops suffer heavy casualties or if intervention drags out. Security has been increased at Parisian landmarks at the Eiffel Tower and outside the Louvre. Dioncounda Traoré The interim president is viewed with some suspicion by Malians as he was an ally of the unpopular deposed president Touré. Traoré has been unable to work effectively with the junta behind the coup to lay the groundwork for the deployment of African troops. Al-Qaida in the Maghreb (AQIM) AQIM is the successor to the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, which came out of the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria, itself a product of the Algerian civil war. It numbered only a few hundred until early 2012, but they are experienced fighters, some of whom received military training in Afghanistan. Their ranks have probably grown since the takeover of the north. Ansar Dine Ansar Dine is not fighting for independence but wants sharia across the whole country. Its leader, Iyad Ag Ghali – a Tuareg noble and longtime thorn in the side of Bamako – and his supporters follow the Wahhabi sect of Islam, and are opposed by those Tuaregs who describe themselves as secularists, while most Malian Muslims belong to the rival Sufi tradition. MNLA The MNLA was created in 2011 by Tuareg activists after their former leader, Ibrahim ag Bahanga, was killed in a "car accident". The MNLA is a coalition of various groups, and its military leader is Mohamed Ag Najim, a Malian Tuareg who served under Gaddafi as a senior officer until the regime collapsed. It seeks independence for the Tuaregs' northern homeland, which it calls Azawad. 9. Key facts Mali is a vast landlocked country located in the heart of the Sahel, a region threatened by drought and desertification. The vast majority of the people rely on the environment for their livelihoods through herding, farming, or fishing. Population: 15,839,538 (2011) GDP: $10,589,925,352 (2011) GDP growth: 2.6% (2011) Inflation: 2.8% (2011) For more, visit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/16/mali-guide-to-the-conflict 1 Like |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Pangea: 6:59pm On Jan 16, 2013 |
Can't Nigeria sit this one out? I hope it will not be another bloodbath for our troops like Liberia o! |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Nobody: 7:14pm On Jan 16, 2013 |
Pangea: Can't Nigeria sit this one out?nope we can't |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Pangea: 10:54pm On Jan 16, 2013 |
What do you mean we can't? Even Britain and US are sitting this one out, helping only with logistics and drones. Why should we be the one spilling our guts on a god forsaken desert? |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by alstacs(m): 3:34am On Jan 17, 2013 |
Pangea: What do you mean we can't? If your neighbour's roof is on fire and you decided to keep the water in your house from him; all is needed is just a little wind and your house is on fire too. The little water you have will never be sufficient to put out your own fire. Islamists are all over the place now, so many of those war urchins in Libya are now evangelists in their various countries; a united front is needed to overcome this otherwise, Africa will soon cease to exist. 24 Likes |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Nobody: 11:45am On Jan 17, 2013 |
alstacs: Thanks for the simple analysis. Most peeps don' understand how interconnected the whole of west Africa is. When there was war in Liberia we all new the spill over effects it had over Nigeria, We have a large population now and we are battling with our own problems and it won't be nice packing more overload "refugees" to our already full load. Also , Northern Mali if left unchecked may serve as training ground for sophisticated Boko Haram members. Their belief would be- since we captured northern MAli , we can also captured Northern Nigeria and they may eventually channel their resources into this cause, I dont need to tell you what that portends for Nigeria. Lastly, you never know were a crisis may end in, you only know the start if it isn;t nipped in the bud before it turns really bad. 12 Likes |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by mrborn2fuck(m): 11:47am On Jan 17, 2013 |
This islamic people? Oooh God, theyy give headache always ....why! Why!! Why!!!.......why thou make me create hatred in islam,why can't they be peaceful and we have them on nairaland too....what a shame 2 Likes |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by kcpumping(m): 11:51am On Jan 17, 2013 |
This Is crious Ooº°˚ ....pls i wish to join airforce , any ready one aΩ̴̩̩̩̥d̶̲̥̅̊ willing to help me ? |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by barackosama(m): 11:55am On Jan 17, 2013 |
My Uncle would be living On Sunday, safe trip all! 1 Like |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by felixtare(m): 11:56am On Jan 17, 2013 |
alstacs: correct |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by mrborn2fuck(m): 11:56am On Jan 17, 2013 |
kcpumping: This Is crious Ooº°˚ ....pls i wish to join airforce , any ready one aΩ̴̩̩̩̥d̶̲̥̅̊ willing to help me ?why you no go maiduguri go face boko haram first make dem blow your coconut head with gun.....u better go sandforce |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Nobody: 11:57am On Jan 17, 2013 |
Can these islamic terrorists all over the world ever be rehabilitated?? The conviction they have in their asinine position negates this possibility. |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by kaze4blues(m): 11:57am On Jan 17, 2013 |
Thnks Op for d insight.... Really found it useful |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Nobody: 12:15pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
thanks for those facts, but are the jihadist arabs or malians or both |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by HAH: 12:17pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
Mali situation is a very delicate case, this war may last longer than thought because of the sophistication of the rebel and I doubt if the french can handle it. Nigeria has no choice but to go and be part of chasing the rebel away because Mali is now becoming a base for the salafis which is the umbrella of all wahabi militant, that is where militant like boko haram are trained and the truth is that if they succeed they will push forward toward Niger which will be very easy to capture then Nigeria. Apart from the war another way of halting this militant is be starving them of funding but due to the hypocrisy of the world power they forget the source of funding to all this militant salafis in asia and africa. It is an open secret that over 80% of funding to salafis come from saudi arabia but due to the fact that saudi is a top ally of the USA no one is saying anything about them, have you ever wondered why there is no war on saudi despite the fact that 15 of the bombers of 911 are from saudi, the US rather went to Afghanistan and Iraq and left the source. Have you ever wondered why there was never an al qaeda attack in saudi? Saudi with the discovery of oil decided promote a brand of islam call the wahabism founded by mohammed abdulwahab in the 18 century, it has a strict and militant approach to everything. This is a very long story that need a serious look at, well for me to give a complete picture of what is happening I may need to address a lecture but can my security be guaranteed ? |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by onatisi(m): 12:17pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
Pangea: What do you mean we can't?uk nd usa dont have boko haram in their countries carrying out bomb attacks .boko haram is closely linked to the islamist in northern mali |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Nobody: 12:25pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
barackosama: My Uncle would be living On Sunday, safe trip all!ehhhyaaah like rising from the dead ryt? Well am leaving now 2 Likes |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by klax(m): 12:57pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
To be honest its quiet unfortunate the way these animals called Islamist or terrorist has Hijack the religion of Islam turning it to a f u c king a s s hole satanic religion this is so sad. Now its obvious and clear that when someone want to waste lives, or want to murder at will, or want to run vampire kingdom or display anger or display madness in the name of religion the best way to do it is for him or her to say Oh am a Muslim I belong to so and so Islamist group, I belong to Al Queda, I belong to this and that this is a big shame and slap to this religion. Well Nigeria has no option than to join hands with the rest of the world to go to Mali and help them out because if your neighbour is not at peace yourself you cant sleep in peace this is just the truth. If the disgraceful animals are not been shown the way to hell they will ends up joining hands with the animals in Nigeria called Bokoidiots and from their it will keep going till the entire West Africa is engulf in their satanic teaching and belief. I strongly supported any measure the joint millitary want to use to wipe these animals out they dont deserve to live since living peacefully in the world is an abomination to them then they should be stamp out completely from the face of earth, enough is enough. The most annoying thing is the Islamic Council of the World will never for one day stand up and say "NO" we have had enough of all these embarrassement rather they will say "oh its because Islam was marginalized", before I so respect this religion and love it but when I saw the direction the idiots called Bin Laden and then all follow him since then Islam lost it all in my heart completely its a show of shame to be honest. |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by davesndy: 1:07pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
Pangea: What do you mean we can't?If we sit this one out, after Mali is ravaged do u think these blood thirsty people will fold their hands? Remember most of them came from algeria and be rest assured they won't stop in Mali. If they are not stopped or at least tamed, they will keep moving and very soon, they will invade Nigeria 1 Like |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Rich4god(m): 1:22pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
Sending troops to Mali is a welcome development. But the FG should tighten our security so that BH and the likes wont start attacking us and taking hostages in the name of blackmailing the FG to pull its troops out of Mali. Just like what is happening in Algeria, foreign expertrates are being held hostage in a gas company. |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Umunede(m): 1:28pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
mr.born2fuck:after they tell me BUHARI will be the best president. see what his people are doing in northern nigeria and mali |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Joey82(m): 1:39pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
HAH: Mali situation is a very delicate case, this war may last longer than thought because of the sophistication of the rebel and I doubt if the french can handle it. HAH are u serious at all. u want of give a lecture here and u are worried about your security. I thought the beauty of this forum is that it keeps u ananymos. so what are u afraid of? |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by fkaz(m): 2:07pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
I believe ghanian president take a deep thought before backing out, i respect his decision. You can't fight religious war and win successfully. But some people felt he chicken out, Power no b by size o |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Wallie(m): 3:53pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
Regardless of how disorganized and corrupt Nigeria is, we still have one of the most reliable intervention forces in Africa. If the government is smart, they will develop our military forces by leveraging on all the interventions going on in Africa and they don’t really need to do much except executing a strategic plan! We get free money, equipments and experience by intervening in other countries. It is even a good thing the US is not putting boots on ground. We will provide the boots needed if we are properly trained and equipped. It is a win-win situation for Nigeria! Not only we will keep our boarders safe, we will have a world class military and world class equipment. And in the unfortunate case of death of any soldier, the UN should pay the family of the dead a lump sum. BUT we need to capitalize on the situation by using the opportunities provided to upgrade our capabilities and security institutions! The goal is just not to supply bodies to fight but to get the UN to subsidize our military growth! 1 Like |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by HAH: 4:22pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
Joey82: The lecture am talking about is actually physical but I will try to do some on this forum may be on another new thread that I will creat to dissect the origin of salafis militants in africa and the short and long term solution. Who told you,you are anonymous on this forum,yes you may be anonymous to commoners but agents see you and is just a matter of time before you are caught. Do you know why must terror and even other leaders don't use mobile gadget or they constantly change it may be after a single use, it is because it is a tracking device. Mind you internet was known to the world in the 90s but the CIA is using it since 70s Am a bit busy now but I will try creating a thread on salafis militancy and then you will know that we have a big problem in our hands that jonathan cannot cure alone. |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Torter(m): 5:02pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
Sending our boyz to tackle pple who know d terrain d r operatin in. I hope dis wont b a bloodbath 1 Like |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by AfroBlue(m): 7:50pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
another viewpoint ROBBING PETER MALI TO PAY PAUL GERMANY http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/robmalipaygermany.php The German government started demanding their physical gold to be repatriated back to Germany from both the Bank of France and the New York Federal Reserve. Germany demanded all of the 374 tons of gold held by the Bank of France, but only 300 tons of the 1500 tons of bullion held by the New York Federal Reserve. Both the Bank of France and the New York Federal Reserve have stated that the process of returning the gold will take years, five years for the French gold, and seven for the gold coming from the New York Federal Reserve. The delay makes the situation clear. Neither the Bank of France nor the New York Federal Reserve actually have the gold Germany deposited, sending tungsten fakes back to the very nation that first spotted the fraud is risky, the France and the United States are scrambling to find replacement gold. Which brings us to Mali. Mali is one of the world's largest gold producers. Together with neighboring Ghana they account for 7-8% of world gold output. That makes them a rich prize for nations desperate for real physical gold. So, even as Germany started demanding their gold back from the Bank of France and the New York Federal Reserve, France (aided by the US) decided to invade Mali to fight "Islamists" working for "Al Qaeda." Of course, "Islamists" has become the catch-all label for people that need to be killed to get them out of the way of the path to riches, and the people being bombed by France (aided by the US) are not "Al Qaeda" but Tawariqs, who have been fighting for their independence for 150 years, long before the CIA created "Al Qaeda". Left to themselves, the Tawariqs could sell gold to whoever they want for whatever they want, and right now China can outbid the US and France. 2 Likes |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Nobody: 9:22pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
Afro_Blue: another viewpoint We are in a dog kill dog world. However, Africans are been brainwashed to think that they are doing us favour. If you read the art of war you will understand that we are constantly at war. Alas! We relax and think all is well. |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Biggybountz: 10:57pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
[b]As far as i know, the Westerners won't intervene if they don't have anything to protect or an interest! although the militants remain a threat to the world economy as a whole Meanwhile, why are the French mourning about West Africans sending in their support (mIllitary) too late into Mali?, i heard that on BBC this evening...[/b][b][/b] |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by Madawaki01(m): 11:33pm On Jan 17, 2013 |
HAH: Mali situation is a very delicate case, this war may last longer than thought because of the sophistication of the rebel and I doubt if the french can handle it.no,not guaranteed....i may even b d one to stab u 1 Like |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by igwejay67: 1:06am On Jan 18, 2013 |
HAH: |
| Re: Mali: A Guide To The Conflict by BetaThings: 2:13am On Jan 18, 2013 |
HAH: Mali situation is a very delicate case, this war may last longer than thought because of the sophistication of the rebel and I doubt if the french can handle it. So there has not been a terror attack on Saudi? Really? The number of terror attacks on Saudi between 2003 - 2006 are so many that I cannot even begin to list them. Just google And why the upsurge? Because Saudi cracked down hard on terrorists after the 911 attacks Al Qaeda even tried to take out the Minister of interior (Nayef) in Aug 2009 If you really studied the hatred of terrorists for the ruling family in Saudi, you would not make these assertions One of the reasons bin Laden was not allowed to return to Saudi Please try to educate people with facts |
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