Radical Islamists hold on to gains in Mali

[emptystep]

Radical Islamists hold on to gains in Mali - Houston Chronicle

French President Francois Hollande said France, which used to rule Mali as a colony, is ready to help to the stop the Islamist extremists. He did not specify what assistance it is prepared to offer. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian wrote on his Twitter account Friday: "On the phone with (U.S. Defense Secretary) Leon Panetta about the Malian crisis. This afternoon with my European counterparts."

The United Nations Security Council condemned the capture of Konna and called on U.N. member states to provide assistance to Mali "in order to reduce the threat posed by terrorist organizations and associated groups."

Well that will stop those radical Islamists in their tracks for sure.

A top French diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said that France is now able to deploy military assets — notably air power — over Mali "very quickly."

At least some countries still have a military.

"I think the real target here is to seize the airstrip in Mopti, either to hold it or blow enough holes in it to render it useless," Pham said. "If you can seize the airstrip at Mopti, the Malian military's and African militaries' ability to fly reconnaissance in the north is essentially clipped."

Al-Qaida's affiliate in Africa has been a shadowy presence for years in the forests and deserts of Mali, a country hobbled by poverty and a relentless cycle of hunger. Most Malians adhere to a moderate form of Islam, where women do not wear burqas and few practice the strict form of the religion.

The Islamists insist they want to impose Shariah only in northern Mali, though there long have been fears they could push further south. Bamako, the capital, is 435 miles (700 kilometers) from Islamist-held territory.

I seem to remember someone else saying they only wanted Poland.

Mali and its mining sector: A focus on gold, while minerals are unexplored
Well funded terrorists couldn't possibly do us any harm.

Currently, Mali is Africa’s third largest gold producer, after South Africa and Ghana. Hence, gold production forms the cornerstone of Mali’s mining industry and represents 95% of the country’s mineral production.(2) As such, this article will discuss Mali’s mining industry with regards to international involvement in the sector, as well as the implications of mine production for the African country.

This is definitely not a problem. In fact I have never even heard of this stuff before.

Several companies in Mali are currently carrying out uranium exploration in the Falea and Gao regions, where the uranium potential is estimated to be 5,200 tonnes. Furthermore, Mali has the potential to develop diamond explorations. In the Kayes administrative region, also known as “Mining region 1”, 30 kimberlitic pipes have been discovered of which eight show traces of diamonds. Diamonds have also been picked up in the Sikasso administrative region, in southern Mali.(6)

Mali and its mining sector: A focus on gold, while minerals are unexplored

Bauxite reserves are estimated to be 1.2 million tonnes

For almost 100 years diatomite has been the workhorse of food and beverage processing. Almost every shelf in the grocery store contains a product which has been filtered by diatomite.

an estimated potential of 4 million lithium reserves

Uses of Lithium
Lithium niobate is used to make cell phone.
Lithium is used to absorb neutrons in nuclear fusion.
Lithium can be combined with other metals (usually aluminum, cadmium, copper or manganese) to make airplane parts.
Lithium hydroxide and lithium peroxide are used to purify air in submarines and on spacecraft. Lithium peroxide is fantastic as it reacts with carbon dioxide to produce oxygen.
One of the most important uses of lithium is in the treatment of bipolar disorder and depression. Salts of lithium (such as lithium carbonate and lithium citrate) are mood stabilizers.
Lithium can be used in focal lenses for telescopes and common spectacles.
Lithium chloride and lithium bromide are effective desiccant. A desiccant is a substances that keeps something (usually a container) dry by absorbing (or adsorbing) water molecules.
Lithium, and its hydrides, are used as high energy additives in rocket propellants.


[Terrorist are always getting smarter. Are we?]

 

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French intervene.

Malian army beats back Islamist rebels with French help | Reuters
Malian army beats back Islamist rebels with French help

Malian government troops drove back Islamist rebels from a strategic central town after France intervened on Friday with air strikes to halt advances by the militants controlling the country's desert north.

Western governments, particularly former colonial power France, had voiced alarm after the al Qaeda-linked rebel alliance captured the town of Konna on Thursday, a gateway towards the capital Bamako 600 km (375 miles) south.

President Francois Hollande said France would not stand by to watch the rebels push southward. Paris has repeatedly warned that the Islamists' seizure of the country's north in April gave them a base to attack neighboring African countries and Europe.

"We are faced with blatant aggression that is threatening Mali's very existence. France cannot accept this," Hollande, who recently pledged Paris would not to meddle in African affairs, said in a New Year speech to diplomats and journalists.

The president said resolutions by the United Nations Security Council, which in December sanctioned an African-led military intervention in Mali, meant France was acting in accordance with international law.

In Washington, a U.S. official told Reuters that the Pentagon is weighing options in Mali, including intelligence-sharing with France and logistics support.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius confirmed that France had carried out air strikes against the rebels to prevent them conquering the whole of Mali. He refused to reveal further details, such as whether French troops were on the ground.

France's intervention immediately tipped the military balance of power, with Malian government forces quickly sweeping back into Konna, according to local residents.

"The Malian army has retaken Konna with the help of our military partners. We are there now," Lieutenant Colonel Diaran Kone told Reuters, adding that the army was mopping up Islamist fighters in the surrounding area.

 

[emptystep]

We, the U.S. and her European allies, are blind in a region of the world which is becoming increasingly sophisticated by the day. I believe the lesson to be taken from my other thread about the DRC and the training of the 391st shows that if progress is going to be made in Africa it is going to take time to collimate. The model should be like the training of the 391st, and not the, enter the briefing room with notes and come out with an order of battle, such as the French commando raid. The one thing we absolutely can not and must not do is ignore this region until we don't have a choice but to enter the briefing room with notes and come out with an order of battle.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/world/africa/france-somalia-hostage-raid.html?_r=0
French Soldier Killed in Somalia Commando Raid
​

...
At least one French commando died in the raid along with some 17 of the Al Shabab militiamen who were holding the hostage, whose fate is unclear, France’s defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said.
...
The Somalia operation was carried out by the D.G.S.E. intelligence agency to rescue one of its own, an agent using the name Denis Allex, who was taken hostage July 14, 2009, from a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. He was working as a security consultant to the transitional government in Somalia, the French said.
...
Mr. Le Drian also announced the death in the Mali fighting of a French helicopter pilot, Lt. Damien Boiteux. French airstrikes overnight drove back Islamic rebels from Konna, a key village in Mali, Mr. Le Drian said, and destroyed a militant command center, while attacking at least three different targets.
...
The rebels, who are said to have ties to various radical groups including offshoots of Al Qaeda, seized the largely desert region of northern Mali and have set up their own rule there in the last nine months. Their move toward the south prompted a call for French help on Thursday from the Mali government and the French military response on Friday, after France had repeatedly said that it would not get involved militarily except to aid African forces.

But the French tone changed quickly, and its intervention by air and ground troops found broad support in Africa and Western nations. “The threat is the establishment of a terrorist state within range of Europe and of France,” Mr. Le Drian said.

 

[waltky]

France givin' air cover against Islamist rebels...

France continues Mali air strikes and sends troops to Bamako
12 Jan.`13 - French forces carried out a second day of air strikes against Islamist rebels in Mali on Saturday and sent troops to protect the capital Bamako in an operation involving several hundred soldiers, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

A French pilot was killed on Friday when his helicopter was shot down during an air strike near the central town of Mopti as France began the operation to help the Malian government stem a push south by rebels who control much of the north, he said.

The operation targeted a column of rebels headed for Mopti, he said. "In this intense fighting, sadly, one of our pilots ... was fatally injured. He was evacuated to the nearest medical centre before dying of his wounds," Le Drian told a news conference.

He said France had sent special forces into Mopti to prepare the ground and later sent "several hundred" troops into Bamako on Friday to safeguard the capital. France had additional Rafale fighter jets on standby to be deployed, Le Drian said. President Francois Hollande was due to hold a meeting with defence officials at 3 p.m. (1400GMT).

Le Drian said a raid by French forces in Somalia to try to rescue a French secret agent held hostage there since 2009 was not linked to the Mali intervention. The hostage, Denis Allex, is believed to have died in the raid, along with one soldier, he said. A second soldier was missing.

France continues Mali strikes, sends troops to Bamako - Yahoo! News

See also:

Hundreds of French troops drive back Mali rebels
Jan 12,`13 -- French airstrikes overnight in Mali drove back Islamist rebels from a key city and destroyed a militant command center, the French defense minister said Saturday, as West African nations authorized the immediate deployment of troops to the country.

The al-Qaida-linked militants, who have carved out their own territory in the lawless desert region of northern Mali over the past nine months, recently pressed closer to a major base of the Malian army, dramatically raising the stakes in the battle for the vast West African nation. "The threat is a terrorist state at the doorstep of France and Europe," said French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

The French operation, which started Friday in the former French colony, came after an appeal for help from Mali's president. The fighting involved hundreds of French troops and overnight airstrikes on three rebel targets, said Le Drian. He said a rebel command center outside the key city of Konna was destroyed. Adm. Edouard Guillaud said a French helicopter had been downed and that the pilot died of his wounds while he was being evacuated to safety.

A military official in Mali said Islamist militants were driven out of Konna, but that the city captured by the extremists earlier this week was not yet under government control. "We are doing sweeps of the city to find any hidden Islamist extremist elements," said Lt. Col. Diarran Kone. "The full recovery of the city is too early to determine as we do not yet control the city, and we remain vigilant."

Sanda Abou Mohamed, spokesman for Islamist group Ansar Dine, told The Associated Press he could not confirm if his fighters were still in Konna. "I cannot tell you if our fighters are still in the city of Konna or if they are not, because since yesterday afternoon I have not had contact with them as the telephone network has been down in this zone," Mohamed said Saturday. In a statement released Saturday, ECOWAS commission president Kadre Desire Ouedraogo said the bloc had authorized the immediate deployment of troops to Mali. He said they made the decision "in light of the urgency of the situation."

MORE

 

[RoadVirus]

French President Francois Hollande said France, which used to rule Mali as a colony, is ready to help to the stop the Islamist extremists. He did not specify what assistance it is prepared to offer.

White flags.

 

[emptystep]

French President Francois Hollande said France, which used to rule Mali as a colony, is ready to help to the stop the Islamist extremists. He did not specify what assistance it is prepared to offer.

White flags.

At the moment their the only one slowing the creep of the terrorists out of where they are seen to where they are unseen.

 

[waltky]

Will Mali turn out to be France's Somalia?...

Malian Rebels Take Town and Vow to Avenge French Attack
January 14, 2013 — The French Defense Ministry said on Monday that a town in central Mali had fallen to Islamist insurgents from the north, hours after Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said his country’s dramatic intervention there had succeeded in blocking a rebel advance that could have had “appalling consequences.”

At the same time, an Islamist leader in Mali said France had “opened the gates of hell” for all its citizens by intervening, reinforcing concerns that the far-flung military operation in Africa could inspire vengeance in mainland France. French forces, Mr. Fabius said in a radio interview late Sunday, were now “taking care” of rear bases used by Islamists who took control of much of the north of the country last year after a military coup in the capital, Bamako. The duration of the French operation was “a question of weeks,” Mr. Fabius said, unlike the American-led military campaign in Afghanistan.

But within hours, reports began to emerge of a rebel counterattack in the small town of Diabaly, north of Ségou on the approaches to the capital — the first indication that the insurgents had regrouped after a wave of French airstrikes. The fighting in the town pitted government forces against rebels seeking to press southward under heavy fire from the air. Reuters quoted residents and Malian military officials as saying that Islamists counterattacked after the insurgents infiltrated overnight in small groups. The French defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said the rebels “took Diabaly after fierce fighting and resistance from the Malian Army that couldn’t hold them back.”

The French intervention, which began on Friday and continued over the weekend, appeared to halt the main thrust of an Islamist rebel advance farther east, as West African nations authorized what they said would be a faster deployment of troops in support of the weak government. French aircraft dropped bombs and fired rockets from helicopter gunships and jet fighters after the Islamists, who already control the north of Mali, pressed southward and overran the village of Konna, which had been the de facto line of government control.

The French struck two columns of Islamist fighters, the French Defense Ministry said. The first was in and around Konna, driving out the rebels from the village, and the second was to the west, across the Niger River, heading south toward Ségou. That second column appeared from local accounts to still be advancing, with the rebels taking the small town of Alatona as well as Diabaly, a military camp on a main road to Ségou, the administrative capital of central Mali, according to The Associated Press. A spokesman for the Malian Army, Lt. Col. Diarran Kone, confirmed the rebel attack on Diabaly.

More http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/world/france-mali-intervention.html?_r=0

 

[emptystep]

Will Mali turn out to be France's Somalia?...

Malian Rebels Take Town and Vow to Avenge French Attack
January 14, 2013 — The French Defense Ministry said on Monday that a town in central Mali had fallen to Islamist insurgents from the north, hours after Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said his country’s dramatic intervention there had succeeded in blocking a rebel advance that could have had “appalling consequences.”

At the same time, an Islamist leader in Mali said France had “opened the gates of hell” for all its citizens by intervening, reinforcing concerns that the far-flung military operation in Africa could inspire vengeance in mainland France. French forces, Mr. Fabius said in a radio interview late Sunday, were now “taking care” of rear bases used by Islamists who took control of much of the north of the country last year after a military coup in the capital, Bamako. The duration of the French operation was “a question of weeks,” Mr. Fabius said, unlike the American-led military campaign in Afghanistan.

But within hours, reports began to emerge of a rebel counterattack in the small town of Diabaly, north of Ségou on the approaches to the capital — the first indication that the insurgents had regrouped after a wave of French airstrikes. The fighting in the town pitted government forces against rebels seeking to press southward under heavy fire from the air. Reuters quoted residents and Malian military officials as saying that Islamists counterattacked after the insurgents infiltrated overnight in small groups. The French defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said the rebels “took Diabaly after fierce fighting and resistance from the Malian Army that couldn’t hold them back.”

The French intervention, which began on Friday and continued over the weekend, appeared to halt the main thrust of an Islamist rebel advance farther east, as West African nations authorized what they said would be a faster deployment of troops in support of the weak government. French aircraft dropped bombs and fired rockets from helicopter gunships and jet fighters after the Islamists, who already control the north of Mali, pressed southward and overran the village of Konna, which had been the de facto line of government control.

The French struck two columns of Islamist fighters, the French Defense Ministry said. The first was in and around Konna, driving out the rebels from the village, and the second was to the west, across the Niger River, heading south toward Ségou. That second column appeared from local accounts to still be advancing, with the rebels taking the small town of Alatona as well as Diabaly, a military camp on a main road to Ségou, the administrative capital of central Mali, according to The Associated Press. A spokesman for the Malian Army, Lt. Col. Diarran Kone, confirmed the rebel attack on Diabaly.

More http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/world/france-mali-intervention.html?_r=0

Yeah, I saw that. I believe we are greatly underestimating what kind of capabilities are being developed by forces in this continent. The longer we put off addressing growing dangers to our national security the higher the price we are going to pay.

 

[emptystep]

You haven't flown coach until you take a ride in one of those things.
Raw video: Canada's C-17 departs for Mali - The Globe and Mail

 

[emptystep]

We might just have a 'situation' on our hands.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/w...reign-hostages-at-algeria-gas-field.html?_r=0

Islamist militants seized a foreign-operated gas field in Algeria early Wednesday and took at least 20 foreign hostages, including Americans, according to an Algerian government official and the country’s state-run news agency, in what the attackers called a retaliation for the French-led military intervention in neighboring Mali.

The Algerian agency said at least at least two people had been killed in the gas-field seizure, including one British national, and that the hostages included American, British, French, Norwegian and Japanese citizens.

 

[BecauseIKnow]

Mali rebels threaten to disrupt French uranianum production and that's the only reason France is involved. And the Malian 'army' ....the ones who overthrew their government and arrested their President. It's all about strategic interests and that's why poor Rwanda is left to dirt. Except surprisingly the places with resources such as Libya, Mali, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. These articles referring to the locals as 'occupiers, you gotta love them.

 

[emptystep]

Video of developing events by WSJ.
Americans Among Hostages Seized in Algeria - WSJ.com

 

[emptystep]

I put together the following just as a little exploration of who is going to be in Mali in reaction to the terror's attack. Below are listed the ECOWAS countries, plus Chad. In addition to the ECOWAS countries there are, at least, France, Britain, Canada, Germany, and the United States. Counting Mali there are 15 states all of which are democracies. The ECOWAS states might not have the largest economies and the most established governments but they are trying to build a better future for themselves. Their potential is huge.

Perhaps after the security is restored in Mali these countries could all sit around a big table and get to know one another, maybe invite some guests from the region. A little mutual respect could go a long way for everyone. This might be a good mission for our new Secretary of State.

West African forces begin Mali mission | Africa | DW.DE | 18.01.2013
The military mission of the Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS) began with the arrival in Bamako of 40 Togolese soldiers.
They were welcomed at the airport by French and Malian officers. The ECOWAS force will ultimately number 3,000 men.
In an interview with DW, non-commissioned officer Camille Jonas Wassite said he was proud to be part of the mission. "Life is hard for people in northern Mali. The international community must help these people. Our intervention is a necessity," he said.

In addition to the soldiers from Togo, troops from ECOWAS states Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Benin, Guinea and Ghana will be fighting in Mali. Chad, which is not an ECOWAS member, also plans to participate. The intention is to join forces with the French and Malian armies in order to push back the Islamist rebels from the north of the country. Since January 11, 2012, the French army has fought the Islamists with air attacks and ground troops. This followed rebel advances to the south.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

Nigeria
Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history.

Industries:
crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; rubber products, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel
Exports - partners:
US 29.1%, India 11.6%, Brazil 7.8%, Spain 7.1%, France 5%, Netherlands 4.3% (2011)
​

Niger
ISSOUFOU Mahamadou emerged victorious from a crowded field in the election following the coup and was inaugurated in April 2011.
The Nigerien Movement for Justice, a predominately Tuareg ethnic group, emerged in February 2007, and attacked several military targets in Niger's northern region throughout 2007 and 2008. Successful government offensives in 2009 limited the rebels' operational capabilities. Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya and spillover from the rebellion in Mali.

Industries:
uranium mining, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses
Exports – partners:
US 49.2%, Nigeria 29.4%, Russia 10.3%, Ghana 4.1% (2011)

​

Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then.

Industries:
cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
Exports - partners:
China 21%, Turkey 16.9%, Singapore 8.4%, Indonesia 6.6%, Thailand 4.9%, Malaysia 4.3% (2011)

​

Senegal
Senegal since the 1980s, and several peace deals have failed to resolve the conflict. Nevertheless, Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa and has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping and regional mediation. Senegal was ruled by a Socialist Party for 40 years until Abdoulaye WADE was elected president in 2000. He was reelected in 2007 and during his two terms amended Senegal's constitution over a dozen times to increase executive power and to weaken the opposition. His decision to run for a third presidential term sparked a large public backlash that led to his defeat in a March 2012 runoff election with Macky SALL.

Industries:
gricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining; iron ore, zircon, and gold mining, construction materials, ship construction and repair
Exports - partners:
Mali 21.9%, India 12.4%, France 4.6%, Italy 4.2% (2011)
​

Benin
Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent. YAYI, who won a second five-year term in March 2011, has attempted to stem corruption and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth.

Industries:
textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement
Exports – partners:
India 32.4%, China 20%, Indonesia 6.8%, Niger 4.8%, Singapore 4.4%, Nigeria 4.2% (2011)
​

Guinea
A transitional government led by General Sekouba KONATE held democratic elections in 2010 and Alpha CONDE was elected president in the country's first free and fair elections since independence. CONDE in July 2011 survived an attack on his residence allegedly perpetrated by the military. In October 2012, he announced a cabinet reshuffle that removed three members of the military from their positions, making the current administration Guinea's first all-civilian government.

Industries:
bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron; alumina refining; light manufacturing, and agricultural processing
Exports – partners:
Chile 24.6%, Spain 9.2%, Russia 7.5%, India 5.2%, Germany 5.2%, Ireland 5.1%, US 5%, Ukraine 4.4% (2011)
​

Ghana
After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS took over as head of state in early 2009.

Industries:
mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building
Exports - partners:
France 19.1%, Netherlands 10.2%, US 8.6%, Italy 8.1%, UK 4.7%, India 4.2% (2011)
​

Chad
The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which has sporadically flared up despite several peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005, new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and made probing attacks into eastern Chad despite signing peace agreements in December 2006 and October 2007. In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits and won another controversial election in 2006. Sporadic rebel campaigns continued throughout 2006 and 2007. The capital experienced a significant rebel threat in early 2008, but has had no significant rebel threats since then, in part due to Chad's 2010 rapprochement with Sudan, which previously used Chadian rebels as proxies. DEBY in 2011 was reelected to his fourth term in an election that international observers described as proceeding without incident. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority.

Industries:
oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials
Exports – partners:
US 83.2%, China 6.8%, France 5.6% (2011)​

 

[emptystep]

This is a prime example how we should not go into Africa and draw hard lines between the 'good guys' and the 'bad guys'. Developing capacity for security which will promote the opportunity for negotiation.

Burkina Faso Soldiers Join French Troops in Mali

Rebel split

In another development, a faction of one of the armed Islamist groups occupying northern Mali has announced it has broken away to form its own movement.

In a Thursday statement, a portion of the Ansar Dine rebel group said it had formed the Islamic Movement for Azawad. Fall says the newly formed group has expressed a willingness to seek a negotiated solution to the country's crisis.

"They condemned terrorism and say they are ready to fight against the terrorists. And, what is interesting is the guy who is leading the Islamic Movement for Azawad, Mr. Alghabass Ag Intallah, he is the son of the spiritual leader of the Tuareg and he was the closest aide of Iyad Ag Ghali, the leader of Ansar Dine," Fall reported.

In an interview Thursday with VOA's French to Africa service, Islamic Movement for Azawad spokesman Mohamed Ag Aharib explained why the group was created. He said there have always been "moderates" in Ansar Dine who condemned radicalism. Aharib said after Islamist militants launched attacks in southern Mali, the moderates decided they could not go further.

He also said the new movement is seeking autonomy for northern Mali, not independence.

Ansar Dine rebels joined with ethnic Tuaregs to seize control of northern Mali following a March coup. Ansar Dine and other Islamist groups then took full control of the region, where they have moved to impose strict Islamic law.

In late December, Ansar Dine agreed to a cease-fire with the government, but suspended it earlier this month, saying the government was not sincere about peace negotiations.

 

[emptystep]

Malian soldiers accused of executing rebels - Africa - World - The Independent
On one hand this is awful news.

France was forced to defend its allies in the Malian army after two human rights organisations said they had confirmation of reports of summary executions of suspected rebel sympathisers by Malian troops as they regained territory lost to Islamist fighters this week.

The French defence minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian called on Bamako to make sure its troops were “under control”. The Malian government issued a statement reminding the army to “show strict respect of human rights... There is no question of us condoning the same kind of actions which we condemn when committed by the terrorists”.

As terrible as this case is this not the exception but the norm in conflicts in this region. What is almost never seen however is someone saying, "Do not do that again. We will not allow such behavior because that is not the way we do things." This not being said by a human rights organization but combat troops. The same people who take incoming fire with them are saying that it is wrong. This is a revolutionary change.

The first elements of a promised 3,000 strong, pan-west African force began to deploy in central Mali allowing Malian and French troops to push north towards the large rebel-held towns of Timbuktu and Gao. A force of 160 troops from neighbouring Burkina Faso relieved French troops guarding a bridge over the Niger river south of the town of Diabaly recaptured early this week.

Here is an example of how this conflict is very different that from what we might presume it to be. Where else have we, well the French in this case, been replaced in a strategic location, having changed hands less than a week ago, by troops of a neighboring country? There is willingness for regional cooperation for improving the situation of not just their own country but their region.

 

[tjvh]

Remember when Romney was ridiculed by Obama, and lefties when he said Mali was going to be a problem? I do.

 

[emptystep]

Remember when Romney was ridiculed by Obama, and lefties when he said Mali was going to be a problem? I do.

And if Obama had mentioned helping an African country, a Muslim country no less, during the 2012 election how do you think Fox would have played that?

 

[Saigon]

t's all about strategic interests and that's why poor Rwanda is left to dirt.

Um...what? Care to explain why the country which has probably received more aid per capita than any other nation on earth during the past 20 years is 'left to dirt'?

 

[Saigon]

I put together the following just as a little exploration of who is going to be in Mali in reaction to the terror's attack. Below are listed the ECOWAS countries, plus Chad. In addition to the ECOWAS countries there are, at least, France, Britain, Canada, Germany, and the United States. Counting Mali there are 15 states all of which are democracies.

Empty Step -

I agree with your sentiments, but not all ECOWAS countries are democracies in any real sense. Nigeria most definitely is not.

ECOWAS is doing a lot of very good work, and the potential for Africa is immense, but let's not pretend all African countries are models of good governance.

 

[emptystep]

I put together the following just as a little exploration of who is going to be in Mali in reaction to the terror's attack. Below are listed the ECOWAS countries, plus Chad. In addition to the ECOWAS countries there are, at least, France, Britain, Canada, Germany, and the United States. Counting Mali there are 15 states all of which are democracies.

Empty Step -

I agree with your sentiments, but not all ECOWAS countries are democracies in any real sense. Nigeria most definitely is not.

ECOWAS is doing a lot of very good work, and the potential for Africa is immense, but let's not pretend all African countries are models of good governance.

I went with what was in the CIA World Factbook.

British influence and control over what would become Nigeria and Africa's most populous country grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The government continues to face the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, Nigeria continues to experience longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. Although both the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections were marred by significant irregularities and violence, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. The general elections of April 2007 marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history.

OK, perhaps I turned a blind eye to some of the troubles currently in a couple of the countries listed but I did find promise and at least the smallest of a thread that hope could hang on to.