Tag Archives: army

“Hands off my junta!”

Posted on August 22, 2020 by brucewhitehouse

Or, Why the international community should show post-IBK Mali some love The parallels between this week’s events in Bamako and those of March 2012 keep coming. On top of the fact that both began as mutinies at the Soundiata Keita … Continue reading →

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Taking it to the streets

Posted on August 19, 2020 by brucewhitehouse

Yes, Mali’s 2020 coup looked a lot like the previous one eight years ago. Frustration had been mounting, both among the general public and among the military. The army had been taking too many casualties up north. Troops in the … Continue reading →

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How US military assistance failed in Mali

Posted on April 21, 2014 by brucewhitehouse

After Mali emerged from authoritarian rule in 1991, the United States government ramped up bilateral development and military aid to the country’s new, formally democratic regime. American trainers began working with Malian soldiers; those of us who spent time in towns … Continue reading →

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The paths of conflict diverge

Posted on June 5, 2013 by brucewhitehouse

As French troops hunted Islamist fighters in northern Mali this past winter, historian Greg Mann said that what was taking place in the region was not one war, but several. For a few months starting in January 2013, the various … Continue reading →

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Six steps to fix a broken Mali

Posted on March 18, 2013 by brucewhitehouse

It’s too soon to declare Operation Serval a success, and there are already concerns about its eventual end, but the French-led military intervention in Mali has at least brought the country back from the brink of disaster, and opened up … Continue reading →

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The north, the army, and the junta

Posted on March 6, 2013 by brucewhitehouse

The Chadian government’s announcement of the deaths of two top commanders of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Abou Zeid and Mokhtar Belmokhtar, made headlines in the last week — although the French and Malian governments have so far given … Continue reading →

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Lessons from Diabaly

Posted on January 23, 2013 by brucewhitehouse

After several days of contradictory reports, it’s now certain that the armed Islamist fighters who had taken over the town of Diabaly, in Mali’s central region of Segou, have departed. Events in Diabaly over the last two weeks offer useful … Continue reading →

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