Resumen de Mali and the Sahel: Making Peace in Another Rough Neighbourhood
Since the fourth Tuareg rebellion in January 2012, followed by a military coup in March of the same year against the democratically elected government of Mali, the Malian state and the greater Sahel region have hitherto become a political and security challenge of seemingly unmanageable proportions for the international community. Following the classification of the situation by the UN Security Council as a threat to international peace and security, foreign, regional and international missions faced intractable difficulties in overcoming political intransigence, powerful rebel groups, terrorism, organized crime, weak state institutions and a deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation. Described as an ‘archetypal conflict ecosystem’ by commentators and as one of the most dangerous peacekeeping environments by UN officials, the situation in Mali and the Sahel has little to show in terms of progress after 6 years of foreign intervention of various kinds and therefore remains a still to be solved, typical African peace and security challenge. This contribution explains the root causes of instability and violence in the region, and examines the evolution of foreign, regional and international interventions in the region, the changes in peacekeeping mandates and the relationship between the United Nations and the African Union.
