The War in Malli

Courtesy of Wikipedia

By Jason Colella, Co-Owner and Sr. Political Editor

The West African nation of Mali was at one time the capital of one the most powerful empires on earth, but now Mali is just your average third world nation in the middle of the harsh and unforgiving Sahara Desert. Mali was a semi-stable country until last January when a group called the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) started a rebellion to succeed the northern state of Azawad from Mali. On March 22 2012, a mutiny took in Mali’s army resulting in a successful coup d'état which overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré who was to retire in a month. The mutinist called themselves the National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State (CNRDR). On April 6th, the MNLA declared a ceasefire with Mali because according to them they had accomplished their objectives. The petition for statehood they sent to the EU and African Union was, however, rejected. But it was soon it was clear that the friends MNLA had made to help them in their quest to create a home land for the Taureg people did not have the end game. Ansar Dine proved to an Islamic extremist organization that began instituting hardcore Sharia law in the country, and Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) is a part of Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM). This created a Civil War between those two radical Islamic groups and the more mainstream MNLA. Over time MOJWA and Ansar Dine to a lesser extent have proved to be more powerful than MNLA and have taken over large portions of Northern Mali. This meant MNLA was now on the side of the government that they just overthrow, but they had a vastly different motive yet common enemy. In one the largest battles yet to take place, MNLA was defeated resulting a serious injury to their secretary-general Bilal Ag Acherif and Islamic extremist gained control of the strategic city of Gao. This past fall AQIM and MOJWA took over the northern cities of Douentza and Ménaka. The conflict began to ramp up again in 2013 with government of Mali and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) asking for foreign intervention. French President Francois Hollande agreed and sent a small force to Mali in accordance with a unanimously passed agreement of the UN Sec. Council. On the 10th of January, 1200 rebel fighters seized the town of Konna which held strategic importance because of the airport close by and proximity to a Mali military base. This forced France to act faster than anticipated. They began a military assault on Kona and within two days drove the rebels back out of the town through their use of Helicopters and Fighter Jets. As of now, the French are still actively engaged in battle and will before the foreseeable future. Yesterday the British announced they will send two cargo planes to help move supplies. Today Islamist forces took control of the city of Diabali the closest they have come Bamako.

This is a rapidly developing story and as such the facts will change soon. So, please stay tuned for updates about this underreported story.