Just a couple
months ago the government in Mali was struggling to maintain control with the
northern rebels pushing the government’s forces further and further south as it
looked as if the rebels and islamist groups had gained the ultimate advantage
against the regime. Fast forward to today, and after the allotted effort of AU
troops most notably from Chad and other neighboring counties, and the eventual
and even more important involvement of the French against the rebels and the
Islamist groups rampant in the north, the coalition has been vital to turning
the tide around for the Mali government and ushering in what could be the first
step to a real end to the internal conflict that has been ravishing the
country.
Now Mali will be faced with all the
challenges of post-civil conflict and it will be vital for the Malian
government to address all these challenges head on to prevent another conflict
from starting up with the presence of the opposition in the North weakened but
not destroyed. This process and the future of the Mali situation are important
because gaining stability for Mali will not only benefit its people, but the
region as a whole from greater conflict. Also its success is important because with
the reality of a successful joint West/African coalition force in stopping the
conflict if the same cooperation can be used to ensure Mali a secure future the
case study of Mali will be vital for the success of coalitions in future
conflicts and beyond.
Due to the weakened state of the Malian
military it is vital that the international community make an effort to
continue to support Mail in all aspects of its recovery especially when it
comes to maintaining peace and keeping pressure on the MNLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) and the AQIM (al-Qaeda in the
Islamic Maghreb) in the North and keeping things stable as the thousands of
refugees that have been displaced start to return back to their homes. It is
also vital that the international community and policy makers support the Malian
government in the process of getting the necessary elections issued and successfully
completed within the right time frame.
Most
importantly the international community and policy makers must get behind the
Malian government in its efforts to facilitate reconciliation and understanding
between the Mali people and we see this being done already with the AU and UN
backing of The Reconciliation and Dialogue Commission within the country. This dialogue
will be vital to bringing an end to this chapter of conflict, facilitate the grievances
of the Tuaregs and Arabs in the North, and instill confidence back into
the Malian government and its ability to effectively govern. Doing these things
will give Mali the best chance to become an example of effective international
cooperation and the re-installment of one of Africa’s standing democracies.
Sources:
Mali: Security, Dialogue, and Meaningful
Reform
Mali:
The African Union Welcomes the Establishment of the Reconciliation and Dialogue
Commission in Mali
I think the future of Mali is pretty bleak. The crisis in Mali goes deeper than Europe and the US want to realize, and it isn't just one thing, it is a collection of crises. The main problem I think, though, is the complete loss of trust between the government and the people which led to a military coup last year. Malians believe that their country's ruling class - the government, parliament, the administration and the justice system - is corrupt, and while they think this, things will stay rather stagnant. It will be interesting to see if this changes or if Mali can gain any traction...
ReplyDeleteI agree that the international community needs to support the new Malian government, but what needs to be determined is the type of support they give. Just stating that the U.S. and the UN support the new government may not be enough. Both of these bodies need to be willing to invest in the Malian economy. If this does not happen then the future of Mali is indeed bleak.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the international community needs to take a definite stance when supporting the Malian government and I believe the best way to do this is through using FDI to improve the country's economic climate. The FDI could be a tool used to help rebuild the trust between the Malian government and its people if the Malian government was honest with the revenue from the increased international investment and passed the benefits down to the citizens, thereby enriching their lives.
ReplyDeleteI am interested to see if international involvement in Mali continues and if this adds to perceptions of stability within and outside of the country. If the international community maintains a presence in Mali in the long-term, this could signal that Mali will remain stable and this could be a big help with FDI as investors see less risk in investing in Mali's economy.
ReplyDeleteStability might even come from the new military as the German army works in building their logistics and training systems. If the military is competent in the future, perhaps an uprising will not lead to a coupe because the State itself will not be terribly threatened.