Mali Still Unstable After Defeating Mali Islamists

A French sniper carries his weapon at the Mali air force base near Bamako January 19, 2013. (Reuters)

After Crushing Mali Islamists, France Pushes Deal With Tuaregs -- Reuters

(Reuters) - After winning adulation across Mali for a five month military offensive that crushed al Qaeda fighters, France is now frustrating some of its allies by pushing for a political settlement with a separate group of Tuareg rebels.

A standoff over how to restore Malian government authority to Kidal, the last town in the desert north yet to be brought under central control, is sowing resentment with Paris and could delay planned elections to restore democracy after a coup.

Mali's army has moved troops towards Kidal, a stronghold of the MNLA Tuareg separatists, but missed a self-imposed deadline this week to retake the Saharan town. France, which has its own forces camped outside, does not want Malian troops to march on the town, fearing ethnic bloodshed if it is taken by force.

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More News On The Post-Conflict Situation In Mali

Talks to Resume With Mali Government, Tuaregs -- AP
France Seeks Tuareg Inclusion to Malian Government’s Chagrin -- Atlantic Sentinel
France accused of favouring Mali's Tuareg rebels -- Global Post/AFP
Mali leader says Tuareg rebels 'ready for talks' -- AFP
France to keep 1,000 troops in Mali indefinitely -- The Telegraph
US to train African troops in Niger for service in Mali -- Digital Journal
EU military chief ‘confident’ about Mali troop training -- Al Arabiya
A devastated Timbuktu faces threats as it strains to rebuild -- Seattle Times/Washington Post
Mali: The Tuareg Rebellion, Islamist Takeover, and French Intervention -- Hari Ravichandran, The Vector

Rebuilding Mali

Rebuilding Of Mali Faces Daunting Obstacles, Despite Outside Aid -- New York Times

DAKAR, Senegal — The outpouring of support may be more a sign of nervousness than altruism.

At an international conference in Brussels this week, donors pledged $4.2 billion for Mali on a range of fronts, including roads, energy and business development, hoping to help rebuild a nation that alarmed governments around the world when much of it collapsed and fell to Islamist militants last year.

Beyond the money, the United Nations plans to deploy 12,600 peacekeepers this summer to make sure the militants do not return, while a host of outside powers, with France and the United States in the lead, are keeping a watchful eye on preparations for elections the Malians have promised for July.

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More News On Mali

Mali Gets Billions in Pledges to Rebuild -- Wall Street Journal
Nations pledge billions to rebuild Mali -- AP
Donors Pledge $4.2 Billion for Mali -- Voice of America
International donors pledge $4.19B for Mali recovery plan -- Examiner
UN Envoy Says July Date for Mali Presidential Vote "Difficult" -- Wall Street Journal
Ban pledges UN commitment to stable, prosperous Mali in message to Brussels meeting -- UN News Centre
Extreme food shortages in northern Mali -- KUNA
U.S. instructors to train African troops for Mali in Niger -- Reuters
US Air Force flies 200th Mali air refuelling sortie -- Defence Web

Training The Mali Army

Turning Mali’s Army Into A Fighting Force -- BBC

Irish and British troops have joined an EU mission: 31 soldiers from the Royal Marines, 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment and the Irish Defence Forces are training an initial group of some 800 Malian troops.

The project aims to create four new battalions capable of defending the West African country.

In January, France sent 4,000 troops to Mali after the Islamist fighters, who nine months before had taken over the vast northern desert region, began to take over central towns - threatening the capital, Bamako, in the south.

Their advance was helped by the fact that members of the divided and demoralised Malian army took off their uniforms and fled their positions.

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Update #1: British soldiers training Mali troops -- BBC
Update #2: US troops deployed in Mali -- Defence Web

My Comment:This is not going to be an easy deployment .... but someone has to start training these soldiers.

UN Approves 12,600 Peacekeepers For Mali

UN Approves Peacekeeping Force For Mali -- Voice of America

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council has given the green light to transform an African-led force in Mali into a U.N. peacekeeping force. The African soldiers will swap their current helmets for the blue ones of U.N. peacekeepers starting on July 1, but only if the Security Council decides 60 days from now that security conditions are conducive. If not, the council can delay their deployment.

The African force, known by its acronym AFISMA, now numbers about 6,200 troops from countries including Nigeria, Chad, Gabon and Burkina Faso. As the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali - or MINUSMA - it will be authorized to expand to more than 12,000 troops and police.

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More News On The U.N. Approving A Peacekeeping Force For Mali

U.N. Security Council approves creation of Mali peacekeeping force -- Reuters
U.N. Security Council signs off on 12,600 peacekeepers for Mali -- CNN
UN approves peacekeeping force for Mali -- Bloomberg Businessweek/AP
UN votes to send peacekeepers to Mali -- AFP
Mali: UN approves new UN peacekeeping force, Minusma -- BBC
U.N. Establishes Mali Peacekeeping Force -- Wall Street Journal
Peacekeeping force for unsettled Mali gets unanimous UN vote -- Christian Science Monitor
UN Votes to Establish Peacekeeping Force for Mali -- New York Times

Britain To Provide Military Assist To France In The Mali Conflict

UK Troops To Assist Mali Operation To Halt Rebel Advance -- BBC

The UK has agreed to help transport foreign troops and equipment to Mali amid French efforts to contain rebels.

In recent days France has attacked militants in Mali to support the Malian government, and has attempted to rescue a French hostage in Somalia.

Downing Street stressed no UK troops would be deployed in a combat role.

The move was agreed in a phone call between Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande, Downing Street said.

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More News On Britain To Assist France And Mali Forces In Their War Against Islamic

Britain to send military transport planes to assist Mali operation -- The Telegraph
Britain to send troops and two planes to Mali to assist French operation against Islamist rebels -- Daily Mail
Britain to send aircraft to Mali to assist French fight against rebels -- The Guardian
UK sends planes to assist French in Mali -- SKY News
Britain to provide France with logistical support in Mali against Islamists -- Times of India
UK to aid France in Mali intervention Rebels -- RT
Britain helps France in Mali conflict -- The Independent
UK offers 'logistical' help in Mali -- ITV News

My Comment: This will be British PM Cameron's third war (after Libya and Afghanistan). Speaking of getting involved .... where are the Americans?

Mali War News Updates -- January 12, 2013

French Join Africa Battle With Islamist Rebels -- Wall Street Journal

Paris Puts Troops on Ground, Asks U.S. for Drones to Help Fight al Qaeda-Linked Insurgents Gaining a Foothold in Mali.

PARIS—French military forces joined Malian troops battling Islamist rebels in the West African nation, and Paris asked the U.S. to send drones to support the campaign, amid Western fears that insurgent groups with links to al Qaeda could destabilize the region and gain the ability to strike overseas.

President François Hollande said Friday that French soldiers were intervening alongside the local army and other troops from Western African countries, at the Mali government's request, to help stop the progression of rebel groups advancing toward the south. He said the intervention is being conducted under resolutions by the United Nations Security Council, which early Friday called for "a rapid deployment" of foreign troops.

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More News On The War In Mali

French forces stop Mali Islamist advance -- The Australian
France launches air strikes on Mali rebels -- Al Jazeera
France pushes back Mali rebels with airstrikes -- Christian Science Monitor
French troops continue operation against Mali Islamists -- BBC
France helps Mali fight to reclaim land -- Sydney Morning Herald
France Battling Islamists in Mali -- New York Times
Malian army beats back Islamist rebels with French help -- Reuters
France Launches Airstrikes in Mali to Support Government -- Voice of America
Minister: French pilot killed in Mali helicopter raid -- CNN
French Pilot Killed in Mali -- Wall Street Journal
W.African states poised to send troops to fight Mali rebels -- Reuters
West African Bloc Authorizes Troops for Mali -- AP
Burkina Faso, Nigeria to send troops to Mali -- Ahram Online
PM Jean-Marc Ayrault: Mali Islamists 'threat to France' -- BBC
Mali intervention will put French citizens at risk - Islamists -- Reuters
Dangers of French mission in Mali -- Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 News
What's behind the instability in Mali? -- Faith Karimi, CNN

France Confirms That Their Troops Are Now Conducting Military Operations Against Islamic Rebels In Mali

France Confirms Mali Intervention -- BBC

President Francois Hollande says French troops are taking part in operations against Islamists in northern Mali.

French troops "have brought... support to Malian units to fight against terrorist elements", Mr Hollande said.

He said the intervention was in line with international law, and had been agreed with Malian President Dioncounda Traore.

Armed groups, some linked to al-Qaeda, took control of northern Mali in April after a coup in the capital, Bamako.

The militants said this week that they had advanced further into government-controlled territory.

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More News On France Intervening In The Mali Conflict

French military arrives to help Mali government as radical Islamists advance -- FOX News/AP
French troops prepare to help government in Mali fight rebels linked to al-Qaeda -- Daily Mail
France launches military operation in Mali -- Reuters
French troops arrive in Mali to stem rebel advance -- The Guardian
French Troops Intervene in Mali to Support Local Army -- Wall Street Journal
France Urges Citizens to Leave Mali -- Voice of America
French president sends troops to Mali -- UPI
France: ready to stop advance of Mali rebels -- Bloomberg Businessweek/AP
French troops to confront terrorist forces in Mali -- National Post
France begins Mali intervention against rebel forces -- RT
French Troops Intervene to Stop Terrorist Rebels in Mali -- The Atlantic
Mali says Nigeria, Senegal, France providing help -- Reuters

Mali Government Is Losing It's War Against Islamist Rebels

Mali Government Is Left Reeling After Islamists Take Village Long Held by Army -- New York Times

DAKAR, Senegal — Islamists advanced into territory held by the Mali government on Thursday, overrunning a long-held defensive position in the center of the country and dealing a significant blow to the Malian Army in its attempt to contain the militants who have seized the nation’s north, according to a Malian Army officer.

Over the last two days, clashes have erupted between the army and militants around Konna, a sleepy mud-brick village that for months had marked the outer limit of the Malian Army’s control after it lost half of the country to Islamists and their allies last April.

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More News on Mali's War Against Islamic Rebels

Mali Islamists clash with military for first time in nearly a year, take key town -- Washington Post/AP
Mali asks for help after Islamists capture strategic town -- Reuters
UN calls for "swift deployment" of troops to Mali -- BBC
Islamist Militants Seize Key Town In Central Mali -- RTT
Islamist rebels move into central Mali in new clashes with army -- L.A. Times
Rebel advance in Mali hastens UN talks -- Globe and Mail

Mali's Islamist Rebels Continue Their Offensive Against Government Troops

Islamists Seize Town In Central Mali -- Voice Of America

Witnesses say Islamist militants have seized a town from government troops in central Mali.

A spokesman for militant group Ansar Dine says Islamist fighters took control of Konna at 11 a.m. local time Thursday. Residents of Konna confirmed the takeover to VOA's French to Africa Service.

Malian army troops and militants clashed near Konna on Wednesday and again Thursday, amid indications that Islamist groups that control northern Mali are trying to push into the government-controlled south. Konna is about 45 kilometers outside of the city of Mopti, a key stronghold for the government.

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More News On The Conflict In Mali

Mali Islamists 'enter' Konna after clashes with army -- BBC
Malian jihadists advance southward -- Threat Matrix
Mali Islamists say have captured government town -- AFP
Mali Army, Islamist Rebels Clash -- Wall Street Journal/AP
Mali: Islamist rebels take another city, extending their control southward -- Washington Post/AP
Mali army attacks Islamist rebels with heavy weapons; rebels say they captured some troops -- FOX News/AP
Mali Islamist rebels take strategic northern town -- Reuters
Malian army mounts first major push against Islamists -- Reuters
Fighters clash with army in central Mali -- Al Jazeera

Al Qaeda Is Bad For Tourism

Tourism In Mali Fades Away As Instability Leads To Hardship -- The Guardian

Even Timbuktu fails to attract visitors after three-quarters of country becomes a no-go zone.

Lounging on the soft, weather-beaten cushions inside a pinasse, one of the wooden handbuilt boats with a wicker canopy that sail along the Niger river, the tourist guide Gorel Sidibe looks out at the city of Ségou. "You see this area? It's empty everywhere."

Ségou, capital of the ancient Bambara kingdom, used to be the start of the tourism trail to northern Mali. From here, tourists would sail along the wide river through the arid lands and dunes to Mopti, Gao and the historical region of Timbuktu where Sidibe would take visitors camel trekking in the desert.

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My Comment: Yup ..... having religious fanatics running amok and who have a habit of kidnapping foreigners for ransom has a tendency to kill the tourist trade.

Al Qaeda Backed Rebels Move South As Nations Prepare For Expanding The War In Mali

As Nations Plot An Offensive In Mali, Rebels Edge South -- Wall Street Week

Al Qaeda-backed rebels advanced toward southern Mali, stoking fears of an expanding conflict as the United Nations weighs how to help African troops recapture the country's north from the rebels.

The Islamist rebels on Tuesday took new positions near the outskirts of a Niger River trading town that marks the south's last outpost under government control, Mali's army spokesman Lt. Col. Idrissa Traore said. The rebels entered the area around the sparsely populated town, Mopti, on Monday, he said.

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More News On The Conflict In Mali

Al-Qaeda Advances From Mali Stronghold -- Business Insider/The Telegraph
Mali: Al Qaeda Moves South -- Strategy Page
Hardcore Islamist Fighters Spill Out Of Mali To Assault Government Forces -- Business Insider/The Telegraph
Mali army reinforces, expects Islamist attack -- Reuters
Mali says army has repelled Islamist attack -- Reuters
Troops and Islamists clash in central Mali -- AFP
Mali Mediation Bid Postponed after Skirmishes -- Voice of America
Mali armed groups, govt postpone talks -- News24
AU wants NATO role in Mali -- UPI
Nato forces needed in Mali, says AU's Thomas Boni Yayi -- BBC
African Union head seeks global coalition to intervene on Mali -- Reuters
AU official calls for NATO role in Mali -- Foreign Policy
African Union Leader Wants NATO to Help With Mali Intervention -- Reason
Nigeria Cuts Troop Pledge for Mali -- Council On Foreign Relations

Malian Islamists Go On The Offensive

Malian Islamists Move South Toward Government Forces -- Reuters

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Islamist rebels in control of northern Mali pushed south, close to government positions on Monday, army sources said, raising fears of fresh clashes after months of tense standoff.

Militants seized the northern two-thirds of the arid African nation in April, setting up what Western and regional powers fear could provide a haven for radicals to plot international attacks.

Heavily armed Islamist groups in convoys of pick-up trucks had been reported in the Mopti region, where government troops have been stationed since the revolt, a Malian military official told Reuters.

"The rebels have been advancing and have been sighted in several places ... We are waiting for them. If they attack us, we will fight back," said the official, who asked not to be identified.

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More News On Mali's Growing Conflict

Official: Mali Islamists move closer to military-held town, raising fears they will push south -- Washington Post/AP
Official: Mali Islamists Closer to Gov't Areas -- ABC News/AP
Mali army 'fire on Islamists' in response to incursion -- BBC
Mali government 'waiting for' Islamist attack -- Deutsche Welle
Mali Islamist group abandons ceasefire, resumes hostilities -- CBC/AP
Islamist group breaks truce in Mali conflict -- Euronews
Mali Islamist group revokes peace pledge -- The Australian
Mali PM requests Mauritanian assistance -- Magharebia
Mali crisis paving way for militant attacks on France: judge -- Reuters
Northern Mali: A Violent Islamist Stronghold -- NPR
Al Qaeda Now 'Owns' Northern Mali -- Huffington Post
Mali, a country divided -- LMD

Mali In Crisis -- News Updates December 24, 2012

Mali On Brink Of Becoming A Terrorist Safe Haven -- Voice of America

African and world leaders say they will not let Mali become a terrorist safe haven, a failed state, a so-called "Afghanistan" in the Sahel. The U.N. Security Council has backed a regional military deployment to Mali next year to deal with an ongoing political crisis in the capital and help the Malian army retake the north from Islamist militants. Will 2013 be the year that Mali pulls back from the brink? If so, at what cost?

2012 was the year that armed men seized control of Mali. And their grip looks stronger than ever -- both in the north and the south.

Analysts say a military junta pulls the strings in the capital, Bamako. The soldiers, who mutinied and then overthrew the elected president on March 22, closed the year by forcing out the interim prime minister and his government in December.

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More News On The Crisis In Mali

U.N. approves Africa force to fight al-Qaeda in Mali -- USA Today
UN authorises use of military force against Islamists in Mali -- The Guardian/Reuters
UN approves Mali force -- Deutsche Welle
UN agrees plan to oust extremists in Mali -- The Independent
France sees military intervention in Mali in six months -- Global Times/Xinhuanet
Mali Militants Seek Peace After UN Backs Force -- Time/AP
Rival Mali rebels agree to suspend fighting -- Al Jazeera
Mali Rebels Say to Stop Fighting, Slam U.N. Resolution -- Naharnet
We'll chop off more hands: Mali Islamists -- The Australian/AFP
Mali: Rising Ethnic Tensions Threaten New Violence -- Human Rights Watch
Aid Groups Warn of Humanitarian Risks of Mali Offensive -- Voice of America

Timbuktu mausoleums 'destroyed' -- BBC
Mali Islamists destroying historic mausoleums -- CBC/AP
Mali fighters destroy more Timbuktu tombs -- Al Jazeera
Mali Islamists Destroy More Timbuktu Mausoleums -- Voice of America
Reports: Mali Islamists Resume Destruction Of Timbuktu Mausoleums -- RTT
Mali Islamists destroying more Timbuktu mausoleums -- AFP

UN Authorizes Military Action In Mali

UN Backs Mali Intervention Force To Oust Rebels -- BBC

The UN Security Council has authorised an African-led military force to try to oust Islamists from northern Mali.

The council unanimously voted to give the force an initial one-year mandate.

The resolution also sets "benchmarks" for Mali, including political reconciliation and improved training for the military.

Armed groups, some linked to al-Qaeda, took control of northern Mali after a military coup in March and established a harsh form of Islamic law.

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More News On the UN Authorizing Military Action In Mali

UN approves military action to oust al-Qaida in Mali, but not before political progress -- Washington Post/AP
UN authorises use of military force against Islamists in Mali -- The Guardian
U.N. Council Votes to Help Mali’s Army Oust Islamists -- New York Times
UN Security Council Authorizes Foreign Troops to Mali -- Voice of America
UN Security Council Clears Force to Oust al-Qaeda in Mali -- Bloomberg Businessweek
U.N. Security Council authorizes military mission in Mali -- CNN
UN Security Council Authorizes Mali Force -- RIA Novosti
U.S.- and European-backed force will try to rebuild Mali’s military -- Washington Post
Mali’s Crisis: Is the Plan for Western Intervention ‘Crap’? -- Bruce Crumley, Time

The Brutality Of Life Under Al Qaeda In Mali

Mass Rape, Amputations And Killings – Why Families Are Fleeing Terror In Mali -- The Guardian

At refugee camps, reports are flooding in of horrific human rights abuses in a country once famous for its music and joyous lifestyle. Mark Townsend reports on the jihadist nightmare in the Sahel

They were told to assemble in Gao's market place at dusk. A man accused of using tobacco was escorted before the crowd by several members of the al-Qaida splinter group Movement for Tawhid and Jihad in West Africa.

"Then they chopped off his hand. They wanted to show us what they could do," said Ahmed, 39, a meat trader from the town in northern Mali.

That was not the end of it. The severed hand was tossed into a vat of boiling water. Then, according to Ahmed, the man was pinned down and over the next hour the bent, misshapen hand was sewn crudely back onto his stump. Ahmed, too terrified to disclose his full name, fled Gao the next day, 8 November: "I had to go. I could not live my life."

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My Comment: Unfortunately .... military intervention alone will not solved the problem.

Political Chaos In Mali As Prime Minister Is Forced To Resign

Mali Prime Minister's Resignation Edges The Country Closer To War -- The Guardian

Another civilian leader being unseated by the military severely limits the likelihood of successful negotiation or intervention

Mali's interim prime minister – and Nasa's ex-interplanetary navigator – Cheikh Modibo Diarra was chased out of office on Tuesday morning. He'd been arrested the night before by soldiers under the orders of Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo, the man who led the coup that set the country into a disastrous spiral of instability in March. Early Tuesday morning, in a terse and sombre statement on national television (in French and in Bambara), Diarra gave up his post and took his government with him. What that means for Mali's political future is anyone's guess, but it doesn't look good.

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More News On the Crisis In Mali

Mali’s Prime Minister Resigns After Arrest -- New York Times
Mali's PM forced to resign, after arrest by junta -- AP
Mali's junta forces prime minister to resign -- Washington Post
Mali's PM Resigns After Soldiers Detain Him -- Wall Street Journal
Mali's prime minister abruptly resigns after arrest -- CNN
Mali's PM Resigns After Arrest by Junta Soldiers -- Voice of America
Mali's ex-rocket-scientist prime minister forced to quit by army (+video) -- Christian Science Monitor
Mali PM's resignation 'not a coup' -- Sydney Morning Herald/AFP
France says Mali mission more urgent after PM resignation -- Deutsche Welle
France calls for new representative government in Mali after Diarro's resignation -- RFI
Prime Minister’s Ousting Complicates Strategy to Curb Mali’s Islamists -- International Herald Tribune

The Conflict In Mali Continues

UN Urges ‘Swift’ Action On Mali -- Voice of America

The U.N. Security Council has called for a “swift” response to the crisis in Mali, saying the situation there threatens regional peace and security.

The 15-nation Council said Monday that a comprehensive and strategic approach is needed that includes restoring Mali's territorial integrity and preventing further destabilization of other countries in Africa's Sahel region.

Rebels and Islamist extremist groups seized control of northern Mali earlier this year. Some of those groups imposed a harsh form of Islamic law, and more than 140,000 people have fled Mali.

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More News On The Conflict In Mali

Washington backs lead role for Algeria in promoting dialogue between Mali and rebels -- Washington Post
U.S. Endorses Algeria’s Lead Role in Mali Crisis, But Skeptics Abound -- North Africa Journal
Mali Gambles on Warlord as Peacemaker -- Wall Street Journal
US slaps sanctions on radical Mali-based Islamist movement -- Washington Post/AP
US adds West African group, 2 leaders, to terrorism list -- Long War Journal
Islamist group in Mali now on US terrorism list -- AFP
Mali neighbours urged to up border patrols -- The Australian
EU approves military training mission for Mali -- Deutsche Welle
EU to train Mali army to fight northern militants -- Reuters
EU Moves Closer to Mali Training Mission -- Wall Street Journal
Doubts over Mali military mission -- Deutsche Welle
US, France differ over how to deal with 'explosive' Mali -- Reuters
Why the world is preparing for war in Mali -- D.B. Grady, The Week
Terror central in Mali -- Washington Post editorial
Timbuktu Pictures: Before and After al Qaeda -- National Geographic

War In Mali Is About To Escalate

Area held by Islamist rebel groups Ansar Dine and MUJWA in northern Mali. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from Wikimedia map by Orionist, using images by Carport and NordNordWest (source). License: CC BY-SA.

War Is Coming To Mali -- Gwynne Dyer, Winnipeg Free Press

You probably haven't given much thought to the problems in Mali, but United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has, and his advice on military intervention in that West African country could be summed up in two words: forget it. Although, being a diplomat, he actually used a great many more words than that.

Mali's 14 million people are almost all Muslims, but there is a deep ethnic divide between the black African majority in the southern half of the country and the Tuaregs (only 10 per cent of the population) who dominate the desert northern half. Last March, a military coup in the capital, Bamako, distracted the Malian army long enough for Tuareg separatists to seize control of the entire north.

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More News On The Crisis In Mali

Mali separatists, Islamist group make pledges in talks aimed at avoiding military operation -- Washington Post
Mali Govt. Holds First Direct Talks With Rebel Groups -- RTT
Mali government, Islamists and separatists agree on peace talks -- Reuters
Mali Islamic Rebels Reject Terrorism, Agree to Work for National Unity -- Voice of America
Mali rebels vow to respect national unity -- The Australian

Ivorian President Urges Swift Military Action in Mali -- Voice of America
Military intervention in Mali could begin in early 2013, Ivory Coast leader says -- Washington Post/AP
I. Coast leader wants armed Mali intervention early 2013 -- AFP

Malians In The South Want Islamists Out Of The North -- NPR
American Commander Details Al Qaeda’s Strength in Mali -- New York Times
AFRICOM chief: Terror groups digging in, cooperating in Africa -- Stars and Stripes
US military: Intervention in Mali now would fail -- AP
Terror Groups in Africa Work With Al-Qaeda, General Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Morocco Warns Of Growing Terrorist Threat In Mali -- NPR
Challenges persist in confronting growing threat of al Qaeda in Mali -- CNN

Getting Ready For War In Mali

US, France Assemble Coalition To Confront Islamists In Mali -- Long War Journal

The Islamist takeover of two-thirds of Mali this year has spurred the West as well as concerned neighboring countries in Africa to find a way to restore Mali to its democratic path and drive out jihadist elements. Islamist groups in Mali currently include Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which is considered one of the most dangerous of al Qaeda's affiliated groups.

AQIM establishes itself in northern Mali

In March of this year, the Malian government was overthrown by a military coup. The resulting disorder and weakening of the central government galvanized Tuareg secessionists and allied Islamist groups, including Ansar Dine and MUJAO, to shake off government control and declare an independent Islamic state. The Tuaregs were subsequently largely pushed out of the Islamist coalition, which now controls a large area in northern Mali (Azawad) that includes the cities of Timbuktu, Kidal, and Gao.

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More News On The Conflict In Mali

Islamists drive Tuareg rebels from Mali town: sources -- AFP
Mali Islamists claim victory over Tuaregs -- News24
Mali: Fighting resumes in north between Islamist extremists and secular rebels -- Washington Post/AP
Tuareg rebels battle Islamists for north Mali town -- Reuters
Mali: Fighting resumes in north between rebels -- AP
Exclusive: Mali war against Islamists unlikely before mid-2013 -- Defence Web/Reuters
EU agrees Mali support mission 'in principle' -- AFP
Military Intervention in Mali: Military Logistics and Human Costs -- Stefan Simanowitz, Huffington Post
West Africa: Algeria Ready to Close Mali Border -- allAfrica.com
Mali: No Quick Fixes for a Complex Crisis -- Gilles Yabi, allAfrica.com
Mission impossible in Mali -- Deutsche Welle

Preparing For War In Mali

Military Planners Prepare For War In Mali -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Military experts from Africa, the United Nations and Europe have drafted plans to recapture northern Mali, officials said on Tuesday, as one faction of the Islamist rebels who occupy the territory called for talks.

A source with knowledge of the plan said the plan would involve a force of more than 4,000 personnel, mostly from West African countries.

"Every military option will be used - ground and air," the source said, asking not to be named.

The crisis in Mali has become a security concern for Western governments worried its vast desert could turn into a training ground for al Qaeda-linked militants.

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More News On The Crisis In Mali

ECOWAS Considers Mali Troop Intervention Plan -- Voice of America
Nigerian army's Mali mission stalls amid doubts it can fight -- The Guardian
Bracing for a Military Offensive Against Islamists in Mali, Algeria Remains Unconvinced but “Willing” -- North Africa Journal
Ansar Dine Delegation Seeking Algerian Mediation in Mali Crisis -- Al-Monitor
Mali militia spokesman says group willing to negotiate, warns of foreign intervention -- Al Arabiya
North Mali Islamist Group Says It Rejects Violence -- Wall Street Journal
Mali Islamist rebels urge dialogue, halt to hostilities -- AFP
Mali's Ansar Dine Islamists in humanitarian aid deal -- BBC
Mali: Ansar Al-Din Begins Peace Talks -- Eurasia Review
Algeria’s Role in Northern Mali -- Morgan Lorraine Roach, Heritage
Foreign jihadists continue to pour into Mali -- Threat Matrix
Foreign Militants Complicate Crisis in Northern Mali -- Morgan Lorraine Roach and Adam Gianella, Heritage Foundation