And I suppose that is part of the reason why AFRICOM was training Malian forces. But I have no idea if the U.S. has concrete intel on AQIM-Touareg links or if this is just part of the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership to strengthen all friendly Sahel militaries to fight AQIM.
Said it earlier, by singularly focusing on terrorism, a host of other more complex and interwoven phenomena are not dealt with sufficiently. As it stands, the entire basis for AFRICOM's Trans-Sahara Counter-terrorism Partnership needs to be reconsidered.