About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 [1] (July 14, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/goveedh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Updated July 14, 2021 Crisis in Mali Once seen as a democratic leader, Malihas become an epicenter ofregional conflict andinstability over the past decade. The military's ouster of the elected president in August2020 highlighted governance failings and deepened political uncertainty. In May 2021, the same soldiers overthrew the transitional civilian leaders whomthey had put in place, after chafing at Transition President Bah N'Daw's effort to replace two junta members as cabinet ministers. The leader ofboth coups, Colonel AssimiGoita, has replacedN'Dawas Transition President; allied officers hold four cabinet posts and lead the transitional legislature. Underregionalpressure, Goitahas promised elections in February 2022in which he will not be a candidate, but observers question his commitment. Transitional leaders also have pledged a constitutionalreferendumto advance the government's 2015 peace dealwith northern rebels. In 2020, many in Bamako (Figure 1) welcomed the coup, following weeks of street protests against then-President IbrahimBoubacarKdita. Reactions to the May 2021 events were more muted, even as Goita named a leader in the 2020 protestmovement, ChoguelMaiga, as Transition Prime Minis ter. Authorities may struggle to meet expectations of improvements in security and socioeconomic conditions, both ofwhich havedeterioratedin recent years. Islamist insurgents and other armed groups controlmuch of Mali's territory. Ethnic militias, some of which appear to enjoy state backing, have mas sacred civilians in rural areas, and state security forces have been implicated in killings and abuses. Rebel, terrorist, communal, and criminal networks often overlap. Although relatively secure, Bamako has seen several terrorist attacks, including a 2015 assault at a hotel that killed 19 civilians (one ofthemAmerican). These complexthreats and security dynamics haveimpeded development and humanitarian relief for Mali, a poor and landlocked country with limited arable land. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has compounded challenges. As of mid-2021, U.N. agencies estimated that 5.9 million Malians (29%)required humanitarian aid, over 372,000 were displaced internally, and nearly 47,000 were refugees in neighboring countries. Foreign troops have deployed to stabilize Mali and counter terrorism. The U.N. peacekeeping operation in Mali, MINUSMA, is one of the world's largest and most dangerous. Some 5,100 French troops servein Operation Barkhane, a counterterrorismmission thatreceives U.S. logistical and intelligence support, although Francehas announcedplans to close Barkhanebases in northern Mali and gradually draw down its forces. Francehas called for the European Union, which has trained Mali's military and law enforcement entities, to take on a greater role in regionalsecurity.Donors, including the United States,have also sought to build the capacity ofa joint force established by the G5 Sahel (Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad) to coordinate military operations. https://crsreports Figure I. Mali at a Glance Source: CRS graphic. Data from CIA World Factbook, IMF. Background Malihas been mired in crisis since 2012, when a northern separatist rebellion led by members of the minority ethnic Tuareg community prompted a military coup and Islamistinsurgent advance, all during aregional drought. The coup contributed to the military's collapse in northern Mali, which the Tuareg-led National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA)-bolstered by arms from Libya and fighters with ties to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)-then declared an independent state. By mid-2012, however, AQIM and two loosely aligned groups had outmaneuveredthe MNLA to assert controlover most of the north. France deployed its military against the Islamist groups in early 2013, at which point the MNLA and other factions (re-)asserted control in some areas. MINUSMA deployed in mid-2013, and President Kdita won elections later that year, leading the United States to lift coup-related aid restrictions (discussed below). President Kdita was reelected in 2018, but opposition mounted over his administration's apparent interference in legislative electionresults, corruption scandals, worsening insecurity, militia violence, and economic hardships. In June and July 2020, a loose alliance of politicians, civil society actors, and supporters of an influential Bamako religious leader convened large protests and called for K6ia to resign. A violent state crackdown further discredited K6ita's leadership, and regional mediation efforts failed. The August 2020 coup d'6tat followed. Criminal proceedings against the 2012 coup leader, Captain Amadou Sanogo, were dropped in early 2021. Stalled Peace Accord In 2015, PresidentKdita's administration signed a peace dealwith two northern armed coalitions: one led by ex- separatists including the MNLA, theotherby pro-unity groups with ties to Bamako. Mediated by Algeria with

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most