Stories from Quick Reads and Mali
“We Cannot Do it Alone”, A Mayor's Plea for US Intervention in Mali
Lawless and godless men — who hide behind Shariah and demands for Tuareg independence — are now beating and raping women and conscripting children to fight their “holy” war. And the greatest tragedy is that people are starting to get used to it [..] President Obama must not allow northern Mali...
When a Coup is not a Coup in Mali
This is not a coup. The president is still in place but the prime minister was no longer working in the interests of the country Bakary Mariko, spokesperson for the former military junta, explains why [fr]the army has arrested the former prime minister of Mali Cheikh Modibo Diarra who resigned...
Young Volunteers Training to Free Northern Mali
Young volunteers engage to liberate Northern Mali. Meanwhile, Jemal Oumar and Bakari Gueye report that extremists in Northern Mali target women with curfews and arrests.
Coalition of African Nations Agrees to Send 3,300 Soldiers a year to Northern Mali
Seven African nations of ECOWAS namely Nigeria, Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo have agreed with Malian government [fr] to send 3,300 soldiers a year to Northern Mali to take back control of northern Mali from Islamist fighters. Other nations outside the ECOWAS might also send in troops.
Concern over Subterranean Water in the Sahel
We are told that miners do everything to waterproof the soil and ensure that waste does not contaminate subterranean water. But it must be recognized that there is always a risk, as they can never be completely sure that they are not contaminating subterranean pools. Moreover, with the impact of...
Mali: MOJWA Threatens the Lives of Hostages and French President over Military Intervention
The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MOJWA) via its speaker Oumar Ould Hamaha has threatened the lives of hostages and French President [fr] because of the planned military intervention in Northern Mali that the UN security council has unanimously approved [fr]. Activist associations Coren and the FDR organized a march on...
Why Mali's Army is Hesitant about Foreign Intervention in the North
Tiékorobani goes to great length explaining why Captain Sanogo and the Malian Army are hesitant about foreign intervention [fr] in Northern Mali. He argues that Sanogo fears that he will lose control the global military operations and that in turn, his officers might rebel against him because of his loss of...
Mali: Militant group MUJWA Vows to Push towards Bamako after Killing
Militant group MUJWA said that the killing of 16 Muslim preachers by the Malian army in Diabaly leave them no choice but push forward towards the Capital Bamako. Malijet adds that Nabil Abu Alqama, one of the AQIM leader in Gao, was also killed [fr] in a separate incident.
Mauritania: A Diplomat's Take on the Azawad
Mauritanian writer and diplomat Mohamed Mahmoud Weddady writes a series of posts in his blog entitled: “Papers about Azawad” [ar], about history and people of Azawad region. This post, for instance, focuses on the relationship between the Azawad and Libya.
Mali: What is The ECOWAS Waiting for ?
Francis Laloupo wonders whether the ECOWAS has a clear purpose in the resolution [fr] of the crisis in Northern Mali. Laloupo argues that while the ECOWAS has maintained for the past 4 months that they strive to re-establish the unity of the Malian territory, they have yet to draw a coherent strategy to...
Mali: Timeline and Video of the War between MLNA and Ansar Dine in Gao
Weeks removed from striking an alliance to take over the North of Mali, the Tuareg rebel movement MNLA and the Islamist group of Ansar Dine are fighting in the town of Gao, Sila Aksou says. Adam Thiam has the timeline of the conflict [fr] over the control of the Northern part...
Algeria: Qatar's Role in Mali
Algerian-American blogger Kal, from The Moor Next Door, discusses claims of Qatar's alleged role in funding armed groups in northern Mali in this post.
Africa: Music From Saharan Cellphones
Chris Kirkley presents “Music From Saharan Cellphones”: The music on the compilation was collected from cellphones in the Northern Malian town of Kidal. In much of West Africa, cellphones are are used as all-purpose multimedia devices.
Mali: Coup Leader Sanogo To be Sworn in as New Interim President
Various online reports state [fr] that coup leader Captain Sanogo will be sworn in as new interim president after former interim president D. Traoré got injured following protests earlier in the week.
Mali: Interim President Injured as Protesters Enter Presidential Palace
Malijet reports that Interim President Dioncounda Traoré was hurt [fr] during protests [fr] that asked for his removal and caused three casualties.
Mali: Junta Aims to Take Back Control after Caretaker President's Term
Marcus Boni Teiga explains why he thinks we should not hold our collective breath for a resolution in the Malian crisis [fr]. While rumors of Captain Sanogo vying to be promoted General circulated in Bamako, reports indicate that the military coup leaders aim to seize back control of the country after the term...
Mali: Ansar Dine Islamists Wish to Salvage School Year in Gao
Aissata Ahmadou wrote [fr] on Maliweb.net: “The students remaining at Gao will not lose their school year. The Ansar Dine Islamists, in collaboration with a few important figures and teachers on site, have decided to organize the end-of-year exams and allow various students preparing for their Fundamental Studies Diploma and...
Mali: 22 killed as Fighting Continues between Military Junta and Loyalists
In Bamako, Bruce Whitehouse's time-stamped diary reveals heavy gun fights between the military junta and loyalist soldiers on May 2. Reports confirm that administrative buildings were being evacuated because of the shooting. 22 were killed and a dozen injured (fr) (mostly soldiers but a few civilians as well) since the fighting...
Mali: New Interim PM and Microsoft Corp's Chairman for Africa C. Diarra's Thoughts on Crisis
As Mali names Microsoft Africa chief Cheick Modibo Diarra as interim prime minister, here are his latest thoughts (fr) on his personal website (also in Bambara) regarding the political crisis in Mali. Meanwhile, the military junta have arrested several members of the former government of ousted President Amadou Toumani Toure.
Africa: Southern Africa Needs an ECOWAS
Following moves by ECOWAS (The Economic Community of West African States) to defend democracy in West Africa Rumbidzai argues that Southern Africa needs an ECOWAS: “The Southern African Development Committee [Community] (SADC) on the other hand has increasingly displayed its inadequacy to address similar issues. In 2008 when Robert Mugabe...
Mali : Opinions of a Blogger on the Military Coup
On his blog Askia Mohamed [fr] reviews the military coup of March 21, 2012 and in a post entitled Un peuple-Un but-Une foi [fr] (‘One people – One Aim – One Faith’), following a brief summary of the current situation, puts the Tuareg rebellion in an historical context.