Why the war against jihadists in Mali is going badly
Dysfunctional politics is exacerbating poor security
WHEN UN PEACEKEEPERS roll out into the sand and scrub beyond their bases in Gao in northern Mali, locals loosen veils and light cigarettes. When British peacekeepers camped near one village, people held a joyous wedding with dancing and singing, both of which had waned under the influence of the jihadists battling for control of the area. Outgunned by the British detachment, the insurgents “try to be where we are not”, says Major Gavin Hudson, one of its officers.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Sahel in a handbasket”
From the November 20th 2021 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Middle East & Africa
Three big lawsuits against Meta in Kenya may have global implications
One was prompted by the murder of an Ethiopian professor
Trump should try to end, not manage, the Middle East’s oldest conflicts
And he should see the region as more than a source of instability and arms deals
Government by social media in Somalia
Cheap data, social media and creativity are filling in for an absent state
The Gaza ceasefire is stoking violence in the West Bank
Hamas and the Israeli far right both want to destabilise the West Bank
How Turkey plans to expand its influence in the new Syria
Its influence could cause tensions with the Arab world—and Israel
The start of a fragile truce in Gaza offers relief and joy
But the ceasefire is not yet the end of the war