After Mali's independence from
France in 1960, the French have been back in Mali conducting military
operations (BBC). Mali had been a democratic country since 1992 until
last year when conflict in the North caused a loss in confidence of the government
by the military. In the beginning of 2012 there was an inconclusive
military coup and president Toure was removed from office before the military
took control of the government (BBC).
The military coup hands control of the country over to a civilian interim
government led by President Dioncounda Traore (BBC). In early 2013 President Traore asked for
French intervention in the North because of the threat from Islamist rebels in
the North (BBC). The French have been
conducting military operations there since January and they have finally gotten
their first aid convoy into the north this month (Associated Press). The French have successfully liberated
Timbuktu from the Islamist rebels, and continue to conduct air strikes on
Islamist forces in the North (Associated Press).
This picture shows the main concentrations of French airstrikes against Islamist rebels in the northern part of Mali.
With French involvement in Mali the
country has become more stable and the government has been able to solidify
control (Gordon). The rebel movement is ending
most likely because of its violent nature.
There is a much higher cost for people to join a violent movement and
this can be a reason that the rebels in the north could not gain more
support. The rebels also became
associated with Islamist Extremist groups and this compromised the
movement. After the Islamist extremists
started fighting then the international community turned against the
movement. That was when the French came
in with an intervention effort (Gordon). If the
Taureg rebels had conducted a nonviolent protest movement the whole thing might
have been different. But with the
current situation the stability of the country is favoring the current
government. The government is even planning
on having a democratic election on July 7 (BBC). By having presidential and legislative
elections in July, Mali is showing its return to the democracy it was for the
majority of the last two decades. Also,
with the French and UN intervention and peacekeeping mission, the country
should remain stable enough to allow for the Democratic government to remain in
power.
Associated
Press, French forces in Mali launch air
strikes on Islamist camps, The Guardian. 3 Febuary 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/03/french-forces-airstrikes-mali
BBC, Mali Profile, News Africa. 29 January
2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13881370
BBC.
Mali sets 7 July election date, says minister. News Africa. 15 Febuary 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21471186
Gordon,
Michael. Official Details French Role in
Mali. The New York Times. 14 February
2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/world/africa/french-forces-needed-longer-in-mali-us-official-says.html?_r=0
While some thought that the French intervention in Mali would be similar to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, it appears that will not be the case. The French in a fairly short amount of time have been able to snuff out the rebels from many key locations through the use of airstrikes. They have helped restore legitimacy to a fairly democrat government who plans to have elections in July. It seems that most of the citizens in Mali prefer stability to revolution. This reminds me of the attitudes of many Egyptians before, during and after their revolution. However, in the case of Mali, it appears that preferring the status quo is better than supporting the rebel groups. While this was the opposite in Egypt the two countries present an interesting opportunity to compare and contrast. Likewise French support in Mali presents another opportunity to compare and contrast with the invasion of Iraq. Sometimes because the Middle East seems so complicated it appears hard to draw connections between situations in various countries. However, with just a little knowledge of the happenings in the Middle East connections can quickly be made between the MENA countries. By reading this blog I have noticed many such connections.
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