Mali mainly, 2012 coup, drugs & more

[ganulv]

The second round of elections in Mali is underway today. Here is a link to the Al Jazeera piece; a round-up of French language pieces may be found here.

[davidbfpo]

A commentary on the first round in the elections, the second round of voting is today:http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/the...ng-itself.aspx

[davidbfpo]

A short fifty-one page document, published by Northwestern University; the authors being Alexander Thurston and Andrew Lebovich:http://www.bcics.northwestern.edu/do...n-Lebovich.pdf

One wonders if the intelligence agencies supplied such a helpful briefing when Mali came to the fore?

This Handbook provides resources that help explain and contextualize the intersecting crises that destabilized Mali in 2012-2013. These crises included a rebellion by Tuareg separatists, a coup by junior officers, and violence carried out by Muslim militants. In addition to an overview of the crisis, the Handbook contains historical timelines, demographic information, glossaries of individuals and movements, translated documents, and maps. Interspersed throughout the text are
narratives offering historical background on past rebellions in Mali, as well as information about contemporary Malian society and detailed sections analyzing the actors in the 2012-2013 crisis. For novice observers of Mali, the Handbook serves as an introduction to the country. For veteran
analysts, the Handbook represents an important reference guide. At the end of the Handbook, a bibliography lists both scholarly works on Mali and resources for continued coverage of events there. By presenting Mali's past and present in their complexity, the Handbook casts doubt on
reductionist narratives about the conflict and gestures toward the nuance and sophistication necessary to understanding this country and its problems.

Something to peruse another day.

[ganulv]

A suicide attack Wednesday claimed the lives of two Chadian peacekeepers near the Algerian border in Tessalit. Radio France Internationale reports Ould Badi as claiming responsibility for the attack.

A military operation was commenced, or at least announced, yesterday. The New York Times reports that the operation will be sweeping the Niger Loop, which seems a large swath of territory given the available French + MINUSMA personnel.