Ancient causes of a modern conflict in mali harvard. Ethnicity is a major factor in malian conflict dy namics both among the tuareg themselves and between the. Politicians in mali s capital, bamako, are beginning talks on how to stabilise the north. Islamists gained popularity amongst anti tuareg tribes that helped it overthrow mnla authority in gao. The diagram below shows the causal links for both the conflict between the government of mali and the tuareg, and groups of non tuareg farmers and the tuareg. The case study shows that the droughts of the 1970s and 1980s played a role in the rebellion, but the rebellion was not driven by supplyinduced scarcity. It was led by the national movement for the liberation of azawad mnla and was part of a series of insurgencies by traditionally nomadic tuaregs which date. These developments hit mali the hardest because of its particular weaknesses. Pdf from the tuareg question to memories of conflict.
Pdf the mali crisis and responses by regional actors. The mood is tense in the menaka region in eastern mali. Decentralization, counterinsurgency and conflict recurrence a study of the tuareg uprisings in mali and niger ia decentralization1094527919. Despite two earlier unsuccessful rebellions, which simply confirmed the status quo, mali has been regarded as one of the most stable liberal democracies in africa for. A minority group in the north of mali, the tuareg have few livelihood. Chapter five the tuareg insurgency in mali, 20062009. In november, the islamists suspected murder of members of a tuareg malian army generals family led to an ethnic conflict between mnla tuareg and islamists dominated fulani. The%epigraph%above%is%from%a%song%by%the% malian % tuareg %band%. Post conflict, 800,000 more children dropped out of school, and approximately 80% of teachers other education professionals fled the. The five years of conflict in mali likely produced at least 8,000 deaths3, the casamance conflict has probably6 produced about 35,000 over 20 years. A history of violent conflict in mali in the north, against a backdrop of longstanding tuareg resistance first against french colonisers and then the malian state the movement for the national liberation of azawad mnla launched an armed campaign in january 2012 for the independence of azawad, an. The regional impact of the armed conflict and french intervention in.
The successful resolution of this conflict, which coincided with the holding of. The tuareg revolt and the mali coup air university. Central mali revealed conflict dynamics that do not correspond to the usual grid of analysis applied to mali s conflicts. The emergence of malian jihadist actors, the intra and inter community conflict dynamics, the connection of governance, development and security concern make the design of a response extremely. Violence in mali and the sahel an unresolvable crisis. Jan 09, 2014 the bitterness generated by the conflict was deepened by the terrible droughts of 19721973, during which up to 80 percent of the northern animal herds died and thousands of tuareg families were. It is evident that peace is only possible if substantial participation of the tuareg in the political, administrative and judiciary institutions is guaranteed. Mali s resolution of its severe ethnic conflict involving the tuareg nomads in the 1990s may provide useful insights into conflict resolution in africa as a whole.
Apr, 2020 peace efforts in mali may require, for example, renewed political will to resolve the conflict in libya and the middle east. Tuareg fighters returned to mali after fighting in the war in libya. The malian armys reprisals led to a fullblown rebellion in which the absence of opportunities for tuareg in the army was a major complaint. Th e countrys genesis refers to the year 1235, when the battle of kirina, won. The%epigraph%above%is%from%a%song%by%the%malian%tuareg%band%. Im no expert on the tuareg or northern mali in general, and i dont claim to offer any solutions. Lisa dittmer 1 analysis of the intrastate conflict in mali the tuareg rebellion of 2012 has attracted unprecedented international attention to a conflict that has smouldered perennially within the malian state since its creation. The southern elites resolved to focus their political and economic efforts on the useful south of mali, gradually marginalising the north of the country and imposing military rule on those regions. Rebel forces in northern mali conflict armament research. The tuareg in northern mali rose up against the malian state in 1990 in what became a lowintensity conflict. Marginalisation and revolt among the tuareg in mali and niger. Conflict armament researchsmall arms survey 8 rebel forces in northern mali. May 30, 20 conflict initiated by the tuareg arose in mali in the early 1990s.
Mali, france, senegal, tuareg, alqaeda, ansardine, aqim. The 1990s conflict was settled with the accords of tamanrasset, whereby the malian government granted numerous concessions to the tuareg, such as the. The success of the campaign, however, depends on a sound understanding of the complex dynamics of mali s internal conflict and fragility. Northern mali has a very lowdensity population, with just 1.
The impact of conflict on poverty in mali the borgen project. Read about concerns around rising numbers of terrorist groups in mali since the mass shooting at a bamako hotel in 2015. Feb 25, 20 for amadou, the burning of tuareg owned homes and businesses wasnt discrimination, it was a misunderstanding. A number of tuareg joined paramilitary groups that took control of mali s northern regions of gao, kidal and timbuktu. We thus aim to foster preliminary answers on the current situation in northern mali and to evaluate the broader implications of the conflict by looking at the regional and global trends. Rebellion and fragmentation in northern mali 30 section 1. Mali underwent the fourth tuareg uprising of its postcolonial history, an islamist takeover of all the northern cities and an improvised military coup. Understanding malis tuareg problem bridges from bamako. In%his%explanation%of%the%origins%of%ethnic%conflicts,%horowitz%. The tuareg insurgency in mali introduction extreme ethnic violence has been a sordid feature of the postcold war world.
Tuareg rebellions in mali and niger, 1990 today adrian martin may 2nd, 2008 sest730, georgetown university professor alexander lennon maps 2 introduction and summary 3 an explanation of the factors 4 history background and colonial legacies 6 independence and 1963 8 the 1970s and 1980s 10 launching the rebellion in the 1990s 11 in mali, from insurgency to civil war 16 interlude 17. This, combined with the 2011 fall of the gaddafi regime in libya that brought weapons and combatants into mali to reinforce local movements set off the current conflict in the country. Mali has been mired in crisis since 2012, when state institutions nearly collapsed in the face of a northern separatist rebellion led by members of the minority ethnic tuareg community, a military coup, an islamist insurgent advance, and a regional drought. This report also assesses risk for escalation in the simmering conflict between the ifoghas and imghad tuareg clans in the region of kidal. This research is an attempt to provide a history of the conflict in mali and insight on whether there is still hope for achieving sustainable peace in the conflict affected nation. Fueled by regional unrest associated with the 2011 arab spring and the subsequent collapse of libyas gadhafi regime especially. The sahel crisis started as a largely malian conflict related to the tuareg question and to grievances about the marginalization of populations in the northern regions of mali and niger. The mnj and the identity crisis in tuareg societies.
Prospects for improved social relations after the armed conflict in northern mali following preliminary consultations with experts, including anthropologists, the discussion. Third, ideas that act as a counterweight to orthodoxy are crucial to any healthy debate. Documented weapons, ammunition, and related materiel 1. Oct 01, 2018 one of the most pressing questions in peacekeeping today is whether and how peace can be achieved in mali. Perhaps the msu student who thinks mali has no tuareg problem feels the same way. Fadimata, a musician for the tuareg group tartit was in bamako when tuareg houses were being randomly attacked by locals and she fled. Because of this isolation, civil servants and technicians posted to the. This strategic studies institute study describes the nature of the malian solution and indicates the reasons for its success to date.
However, the conflict in northern mali between the government and the tuareg led rebellion has had devastating consequences for the education system in the north, and on the children, many of whom are indigenous. For example, mali is still in the process of resolving the old tuareg conflict. The conflict that occurred in mali shows that the conflict has the potential to be a threat to human security, both in economic, political, social and cultural aspects. Oct 21, 2020 mali has been mired in crisis since 2012, when state institutions nearly collapsed in the face of a northern separatist rebellion led by members of the minority ethnic tuareg community, a military coup, an islamist insurgent advance, and a regional drought. The tuaregs have been in conflict with the central government in bamako. Are ordinary tuaregs becoming mali conflict scapegoats. In%his%explanation%of%the%origins%of%ethnic% conflicts,%horowitz%. The mali crisis and responses by regional actors core. Deliberate underdevelopment of the northern region 27 conclusion 29 chapter 2.
Pdf conflict and stabilisation in mali and the sahel region. Northern mali mali came under international focus in 2012, when an armed tuareg rebellion initiated a separatist movement the national movement for the liberation of azawad mnla in the north. An internal conflict sprung up over the imposing of sharia law in the new state and the mnla distancing itself from the coalition to a democratic state. The situations in mali and niger seem to be two separate conflicts, occurring in. The causes of this conflict have been widely documented. From january to april 2012, mali underwent the fourth tuareg uprising of.
Even though the malian crisis preceded the situation in niger may 2006. According to bd 20, the tuareg people were not part of mali until the french. The tuareg leaders of this rebellion would eventually also initiate the most recent uprising against the malian state. Simmering and historically rooted distrust had led to four tuareg and arab uprisings following independence. Mar 30, 2012 despite the complexity, one thing is certain.
The 2012 crisis in mali and its implications on resilience. The tuareg separatist national movement for the liberation of azawad mnla was formed in 2011, when tuareg combatants returning to mali from libya joined with other former rebels. The role of desertification in violent conflict, ice case study no. Tuareg and arabs represent more than 60 percent of the septentrion, with tuareg groups forming a significant majority. Tracing the unrest back over 50 years, he looks at the outside influences of muammar gaddafi, local al qaeda groups, algeria and mauritania. The tuareg insurgency in mali, 20062009 119 reach kidal. Though mali has a history of tuareg uprisings 19621964, 19911992, and 20062009 the 201120 conflict in the north was exacerbated and coopted by islamic extremists. The tuareg rebellion of 2012 was an early stage of the mali war. One should consider contextualizing the current tuareg uprising this conflagration a continuation of a half century of conflict promoting dynamics that, historically, have sullied relations between tuaregs. In mali, the rising began in 1990 when tuareg separatists attacked government buildings around gao in mali. Internal ethnic conflicts appear to be protracted and intractable.
Lisa dittmer analysis of the intrastate conflict in mali the tuareg rebellion of 2012 has attracted unprecedented international attention. Pdf tuareg rebellions in mali and niger, 1990 2008. The tuareg revolt and the mali coup air university af. The installation of special tuareg units within the malian army is a positive sign that the 2006 peace agreement is being implemented. It may also require a more concerted response to crossborder movements of weapons and fighters, with greater monitoring of routes through the sahara being an important first step. Does supplyinduced scarcity drive violent conflicts in the. Tuareg nationalism and cyclical pattern of rebellions.
In mali the loss of herds and livelihoods contributed to the migration of tuareg to urban centres, refugee camps, and neighbouring countries, and was a contributing factor to conflict keita. Mar 27, 2012 this interview with andy morgan offers a detailed and fascinating look at the background to the tuareg conflict in mali. The tuareg revolt and the mali coup lt col rudolph atallah, usaf, retired t he latest 2012 tuareg uprising is not new. This paper looks at datasets from mali in order to econometrically measure the impact of conflict namely, the 2012 tuareg rebellion and insurrection of al qaeda in the islamic maghreb aqim on resilience to food insecurity for the population in northern mali. The differences between the conflict in mali and niger are discussed within its country specific political geographical background. Malis tuareg rebels ready for more fighting youtube. This pain that is borne and preserved in the memories of the tuareg women, particularly those from the kidal region, helps to reinforce resentment capable of deepening and reactivating the conflict. The situation escalated in february 2014, when 3035 tuareg merchants were massacred at the hands of fulani islamists. The situation in mali willian moraes roberto marilia bernardes closs giordano bruno antoniazzi ronconi 1. From local liability to regional security threat 26 3. The situations in mali and niger seem to be two separate conflicts, occurring in the northern region of each country. Moreover, the malian state has yet another front to. We conclude that the kidal conflict does not pose a plausible risk for mass atrocities over the next 12 to 18 months, but it does merit close monitoring. The discontent underlying the violence sometimes flares into insurgency, threatening the cohesion of the state.
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