Abstract
The conflict that engulfed Mali in 2012 was a complex mixture of long-term fundamental grievances by violent non-state actors within the Malian state. The author argues that three distinct but inter-related events coalesced to produce this crisis. First, the secessionist tendencies by the Tuaregs in northern Mali for an independent state of Azawad. Second, the political crisis that was aggravated by the military coup of 2012, which further weakened the Malian state. Third, the hijacking of the Tuareg nationalist process by Islamist jihadists who attempted to take over Mali and establish a state based on Sharia law. This chapter examines these issues and argues that stability in Mali is hinged on strengthening the relationship between the government and the non-state actors of the north.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Bibliography
Affa’a-Mindzie, Mireille, and Chris Perry. 2013. Mali and the Sahel-Sahara: From Crisis Management to Sustainable Strategy. International Peace Institute. February.
Africa Centre for Strategic Studies. Ask the Expert: Dr. Hussein Solomon on Radical Islamism in Africa. Last Modified April 19, 2013. http://africacenter.org/2013/04/ask-the-expert-dr-hussein-solomon-on-radical-islamism-in-africa.
Allen, Nathaniel D.F. 2013. Misreading Mali’s Collapse: Governance, Foreign Aid and Political Instability in Emerging Democracies. Journal of Public and International Affairs 24: 7–28.
Allison, Simon. 2013. Mali: Five Key Facts About the Conflict. The Guardian, January 22. www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/22/mali-war-five-facts. Accessed 27 Aug 2015.
Andrieu, Kora. 2010. Civilizing Peacebuilding: Transitional Justice, Civil Society and the Liberal Paradigm. Security Dialogue 41(5): 537–558.
Arieff, Alexis. 2013. Crisis in Mali. Congressional Research Service, January 14.
Armstrong, Hannah. 2013. Crisis in Mali: Root Causes and Long-TermSolutions. Peace Brief 149: 1–4.
Aronson, Samuel. 2014. AQIM’s Threat to Western Interests in the Sahel. CTC Sentinel 7(4): 6–10.
Bleck, Jaimie, and Kristin Michelitch. 2015. The 2012 Crisis in Mali: Ongoing Empirical State Failure. African Affairs 114(457): 598–623.
Bøås, Morten. 2014. Guns, Money and Prayers: AQIM’s Blueprint for Securing Control of Northern Mali. CTC Sentinel 7(4): 1–6.
Bøås, Morten, and Liv E. Torheim. 2013. The International Intervention in Mali: ‘Desert Blues’ or a New Beginning. International Journal 68(3): 417–423.
Boutellis, Arthur, and Paul D. Williams. 2013. Peace Operations, the African Union and the United Nations: Toward More Effective Partnerships. New York: International Peace Institute.
Buhaug, Halvard. 2006. Relative Capability and Rebel Objective in Civil War. Journal of Peace Research 43(6): 691–708.
Chivvis, Christopher, and Andrew Liepman. 2013. North Africa’s Menace: AQIM’s Evolution and the US Policy Response. Santa Monica: The RAND.
Chiwombe, Eustace. 2014. Senior Rostering Officer, AU Peace Support Operations Division. Interview by author. African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, April 2.
Curtis, Tony. 2014. Senior Military Advisor of the US Mission to the AU. Interview by author. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 5.
Devon, Douglas-Bowers. 2013. The Crisis in Mali: A Historical Perspective on the Tuareg People. Global Research, February 1. www.globalresearch.ca/the-crisis-in-mali-a-historical-perspective-on-the-tuareg-people/5321407. Accessed 27 Aug 2014.
Diarra, Adama, and Tiemoko Diallo. 2015. Malian Rebel Alliance Signs Peace Deal with Government. Reuters, June 20. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mali-rebels-deal-idUSKBN0P00PI20150621#77jOM9v10Ae08BLC.97. Accessed 31 July 2015.
Doyle, Michael W., and Nicholas Sambanis. 2000. International Peacebuilding: A Theoretical and Quantitative Analysis. The American Political Science Review 94(4): 779–801.
ECOWAS Peace and Security Report. 2012. Mali: Making Peace While Preparing for War. Institute for Security Studies, Darkar, Senegal.
Ewi, Martin. 2012. World Leaders Divided as Terrorists Devour Mali. Institute for Security Studies, October 4. http://www.issafrica.org/iss-today/world-leaders-divided-as-terrorists-devour-mali. Accessed 24 Apr 2014.
Fiott, Daniel, Hans Hoebeke, Esther Marijnen, and Alexander Mattelaer. 2013. The Sahel Crisis: Where Do European and African Perspectives Meet? Institute for European Studies Policy Brief. Brussels: Vrije University.
FOI. Risk of Increasing Humanitarian Disaster in Mali. Last modified August 2, 2012. http://www.foi.se/en/Top-menu/Pressroom/News/2012/Risk-of-increasing-humanitarian-disaster-in-Mali
Fortna, Virginia Page. 2008. Does Peacekeeping Work: Shaping Belligerents Choices After Civil War. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Francis, David J. 2013. The Regional Impact of the Armed Conflict and French Intervention in Mali. Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre, Oslo, Norway.
Franke, Benedikt F. 2007. Competing Regionalisms in Africa and the Continent’s Emerging Security Architecture. African Studies Quarterly 9(3): 31–64.
Global Security. Tuareg – Mali – 1990–1996. Last modified May 4, 2012. www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/tuareg-mali-1990.htm.
Gold, Rick. 2013. Initiatives for Peace in Northern Mali in the 1990s – LessonsLearned. A Contrario, February 13. http://acontrarioicl.com/2013/02/13/ initiatives-for-peace-in-northern-mali-in-the-1990s-lessons-learned/. Accessed 30 Aug 2014.
Grossman, Laura. 2013. Into the Abyss in Mali. International Security Affairs 25: 65–74.
Guzman, Timothy Alexander. 2014. As War Lingers in Mali, Western Powers Target Its Natural Resources. Global Research, January 7. http://www.globalresearch.ca/as-war-lingers-in-mali-western-powers-target-its-natural-resources/. Accessed 24 Aug 2014.
Gwin, Peter. 2011. Former Gaddafi Mercenaries Describe Fighting in Libya. Pulitzer Centre on Crisis Reporting, August 31. http://pulitzercenter.org/reporting/libya-qaddafi-tuareg-rebels-war-obama. Accessed 5 Oct 2015.
Hampton, Daniel. 2014. Creating Sustainable Peacekeeping Capability in Africa. Africa Security Brief 27: 1–8.
Haysom, Simone. 2014. Security and Humanitarian Crisis in Mali: The Role of Regional Organisations, Working Paper. Humanitarian Policy Group. http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/8829.pdf. Accessed 5 Oct 2015.
Hicks, Celeste. 2012. Mali Coup Draws Wide Condemnation. The Guardian, March 23. www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/23/mali-coup-draws-condemnation-ecowas. Accessed 5 Oct 2015.
International Crisis Group. 2005. Islamic Terrorism in the Sahel: Fact of Fiction? Africa Report No. 92, March 31. www.refworld.org/docid/425283b14.html. Accessed 27 Aug 2014.
———. 2012a. Mali: Avoiding Escalation. Africa Report No.189, July 18. http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/africa/west-africa/mali/189-mali-avoiding-escalation.aspx. Accessed 27 Aug 2014.
———. 2012b. Mali: The Need for Determined and Coordinated International Action. Africa Briefing No. 90, September 24. http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/africa/west-africa/mali/b090-mali-the-need-for-determined-and-coordinated-international-action.aspx. Accessed 27 Aug 2014.
International Peace Institute. 2013. Security and Development in the Sahel-Sahara. www.operationspaix.net/DATA/DOCUMENT/8131~v~New_Meeting_Note__Security_and_Development_in_the_Sahel-Sahara.pdf. Accessed 27 Aug 2014.
Keys, David. 2013. Mali: The History Behind the World’s Newest Conflict. Aspen Institute Italia. www.aspeninstitute.it/aspenia-online/system/files/inline/keys-ing_080413.pdf. Accessed 25 June 2014.
Kisangani, Emizet F. 2012. The Tuaregs’ Rebellions in Mali and Niger and the U.S. Global War on Terror. International Journal on World Peace 29(1): 59–97.
Lecoq, Baz, and Georg Klute. 2013. Tuareg Separatism in Mali. International Journal 68(3): 424–434.
Lindell, Magdalena Tham, and Kim Mattson. 2014. Transnational Threats to Peace and Security in the Sahel: Consequences in Mali. Swedish Ministry of Defence (FOI), Stockholm, Sweden.
Lode, Kare. 2002. Mali’s Peace Process: Context, Analysis and Evaluation. ACCORD Issue 13: 56–63.
Look, Anne. 2012. ECOWAS Imposes Sanctions on Mali. VOA News, April 1. www.voanews.com/content/west-african-leaders-impose-sanctions-on-mali-145801255/180314.html. Accessed 27 Aug 2014.
Maiangwa, Benjamin. 2013. West Africa’s Terrorist Challenge and the Dynamics of Regional Response. Insight on Africa 5(1): 1–18.
Marshall, Jeffery. 2009. Building an Effective African Standby Force to Promote African Stability, Conflict Resolution and Prosperity, Discussion Paper 16. Crisis States Research Centre. https://www.academia.edu/1462035/Building_an_Effective_African_Standby_Force. Accessed 13 Mar 2015.
Meredith, Martin. 2006. The State of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence. London: Free Press.
Mickler, David. 2013. The Mali Intervention: Evolving Security Governance in Africa. Global Policy, March 11. www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/11/03/2013/mali-intervention-evolving-security-governance-africa. Accessed 28 Aug 2014.
Mitchell, Beverly. 2014. UN Human Resources Planner to the AU. Interview by author, African Union, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, April 4.
Morgan, Andy. 2012. The Causes of Uprising in Northern Mali. Think Africa Press, February 6. http://thinkafricapress.com/mali/causes-uprising-northern-mali-tuareg. Accessed 24 Aug 2014.
Neelakantan, Melissa. 2013. Creating Lasting Peace in Mali: Why Current Security Efforts Will Be Unsuccessful in Northern Mali’s Conflict. Foreign Policy Journal, May 2. www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/ 2013/05/02/creating-a-lasting-peace-in-mali/. Accessed 10 May 2016.
Pezard, Stephanie, and Michael Shurkin. 2013. Toward a Secure and Stable Northern Mali: Approaches to Engaging Local Actors. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation. www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR200/RR296/RAND_RR296.pdf. Accessed 27 Aug 2014.
Reeve, Richard, and Zoe Pelter. 2014. From New Frontier to New Normal: Counter-Terrorism Operations in the Sahel-Sahara. The Remote-Control Project, Oxford Research Group. http://oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk/sites/default/files/From%20New%20Frontier%20to%20New%20Normal%20-%20Counter-terrorism%20operations%20in%20the%20Sahel-Sahara.pdf. Accessed 25 Sept 2014.
Reitano, Tuesday, and Mark Shaw. 2013. Failure to Control Drug Trafficking Aggravates Mali Crisis. Institute for Security Studies, May 31. http://www.issafrica.org/iss-today/failure-to-control-drug-trafficking-aggravates-mali-crisis. Accessed 25 Aug 2014.
Sandi, Jonathan. 2014. World Bank Senior Stabilisation and DDR Officer and Adviser to the AU. Interview by author, African Union Commission, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 2.
Sears, Jonathan. 2013. Seeking Sustainable Legitimacy: Existential Challenges for Mali. International Journal 68(3): 444–453.
Security Council Report. February 2013 Monthly Forecast: Africa. Last modified January 31, 2013. www.securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2013-02/mali_4.php.
Souare, Issaka. 2014. Special Adviser to the High Representative of the African Union for Mali and the Sahel. Interview by author via Skype, March 26.
Theroux-Benoni, Lori-Anne. 2013. Lessons from the Malian Crisis for the International Security Architecture. Institute for Security Studies, April 15. http://www.issafrica.org/iss-today/lessons-from-the-malian-crisis-for-the-international-security-architecture. Accessed 28 Aug 2014.
Théroux-Bénoni, Lori-Anne, Awa Faye Daou, and Paulin Toupane. 2012. Mali: Making Peace While Preparing for War. ECOWAS Peace and Security Report, Issue 1, October. www.issafrica.org. Accessed 7 Sept 2015.
Thurston, Alexander, and Andrew Lebovich. 2013. A Handbook on Mali’s 2012–2013 Crisis, Working Paper Series No. 13-001, Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa, Northwestern University, Illinois, USA, September 2.
Williams, Paul D. 2011. The African Union’s Conflict Management Capabilities, Working Paper. New York: Council on Foreign Relations.
Wing, Susanna D. 2013. Mali’s Precarious Democracy and the Causes of Conflict. United States Institute of Peace, Special Report 331.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Cocodia, J. (2017). Nationalist Sentiment, Terrorist Incursions and the Survival of the Malian State. In: Varin, C., Abubakar, D. (eds) Violent Non-State Actors in Africa . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51352-2_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51352-2_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-51351-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-51352-2
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)