The Mali Conflict and France's Military Operation
After the Mali situation became aggravated, quite a number of researchers focused on the conflict's geopolitical and ethnic aspects, whereas the military side was largely neglected. However, the French operation ...
... Malians dancing in the city streets and waving French flags. But this apparent celebration was accompanied by mass looting and attacks on shops owned by supporters of Sharia rule. The
small victorious war
was over.
Photo: schoolpress.cdn.whipplehill.net
Tuaregs
Who did the French, then, actually defeat? During the discussions that preceded deployment, the French political elite talked about the Tuareg as using the unrest in Bamako to proclaim a sovereign
Azawad
. But do not forget that the Tuareg Malian citizens, in fact, they can be seen as the state’s
stepchildren
, who have long fought for their rights against a government that is prone to respond with counterinsurgency expeditions, bombing and demolition of water wells. Therefore, the ...