Malian Islamists Go On The Offensive

Malian Islamists Move South Toward Government Forces -- Reuters

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Islamist rebels in control of northern Mali pushed south, close to government positions on Monday, army sources said, raising fears of fresh clashes after months of tense standoff.

Militants seized the northern two-thirds of the arid African nation in April, setting up what Western and regional powers fear could provide a haven for radicals to plot international attacks.

Heavily armed Islamist groups in convoys of pick-up trucks had been reported in the Mopti region, where government troops have been stationed since the revolt, a Malian military official told Reuters.

"The rebels have been advancing and have been sighted in several places ... We are waiting for them. If they attack us, we will fight back," said the official, who asked not to be identified.

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More News On Mali's Growing Conflict

Official: Mali Islamists move closer to military-held town, raising fears they will push south -- Washington Post/AP
Official: Mali Islamists Closer to Gov't Areas -- ABC News/AP
Mali army 'fire on Islamists' in response to incursion -- BBC
Mali government 'waiting for' Islamist attack -- Deutsche Welle
Mali Islamist group abandons ceasefire, resumes hostilities -- CBC/AP
Islamist group breaks truce in Mali conflict -- Euronews
Mali Islamist group revokes peace pledge -- The Australian
Mali PM requests Mauritanian assistance -- Magharebia
Mali crisis paving way for militant attacks on France: judge -- Reuters
Northern Mali: A Violent Islamist Stronghold -- NPR
Al Qaeda Now 'Owns' Northern Mali -- Huffington Post
Mali, a country divided -- LMD

Mali In Crisis -- News Updates December 24, 2012

Mali On Brink Of Becoming A Terrorist Safe Haven -- Voice of America

African and world leaders say they will not let Mali become a terrorist safe haven, a failed state, a so-called "Afghanistan" in the Sahel. The U.N. Security Council has backed a regional military deployment to Mali next year to deal with an ongoing political crisis in the capital and help the Malian army retake the north from Islamist militants. Will 2013 be the year that Mali pulls back from the brink? If so, at what cost?

2012 was the year that armed men seized control of Mali. And their grip looks stronger than ever -- both in the north and the south.

Analysts say a military junta pulls the strings in the capital, Bamako. The soldiers, who mutinied and then overthrew the elected president on March 22, closed the year by forcing out the interim prime minister and his government in December.

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More News On The Crisis In Mali

U.N. approves Africa force to fight al-Qaeda in Mali -- USA Today
UN authorises use of military force against Islamists in Mali -- The Guardian/Reuters
UN approves Mali force -- Deutsche Welle
UN agrees plan to oust extremists in Mali -- The Independent
France sees military intervention in Mali in six months -- Global Times/Xinhuanet
Mali Militants Seek Peace After UN Backs Force -- Time/AP
Rival Mali rebels agree to suspend fighting -- Al Jazeera
Mali Rebels Say to Stop Fighting, Slam U.N. Resolution -- Naharnet
We'll chop off more hands: Mali Islamists -- The Australian/AFP
Mali: Rising Ethnic Tensions Threaten New Violence -- Human Rights Watch
Aid Groups Warn of Humanitarian Risks of Mali Offensive -- Voice of America

Timbuktu mausoleums 'destroyed' -- BBC
Mali Islamists destroying historic mausoleums -- CBC/AP
Mali fighters destroy more Timbuktu tombs -- Al Jazeera
Mali Islamists Destroy More Timbuktu Mausoleums -- Voice of America
Reports: Mali Islamists Resume Destruction Of Timbuktu Mausoleums -- RTT
Mali Islamists destroying more Timbuktu mausoleums -- AFP

UN Authorizes Military Action In Mali

UN Backs Mali Intervention Force To Oust Rebels -- BBC

The UN Security Council has authorised an African-led military force to try to oust Islamists from northern Mali.

The council unanimously voted to give the force an initial one-year mandate.

The resolution also sets "benchmarks" for Mali, including political reconciliation and improved training for the military.

Armed groups, some linked to al-Qaeda, took control of northern Mali after a military coup in March and established a harsh form of Islamic law.

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More News On the UN Authorizing Military Action In Mali

UN approves military action to oust al-Qaida in Mali, but not before political progress -- Washington Post/AP
UN authorises use of military force against Islamists in Mali -- The Guardian
U.N. Council Votes to Help Mali’s Army Oust Islamists -- New York Times
UN Security Council Authorizes Foreign Troops to Mali -- Voice of America
UN Security Council Clears Force to Oust al-Qaeda in Mali -- Bloomberg Businessweek
U.N. Security Council authorizes military mission in Mali -- CNN
UN Security Council Authorizes Mali Force -- RIA Novosti
U.S.- and European-backed force will try to rebuild Mali’s military -- Washington Post
Mali’s Crisis: Is the Plan for Western Intervention ‘Crap’? -- Bruce Crumley, Time

The Brutality Of Life Under Al Qaeda In Mali

Mass Rape, Amputations And Killings – Why Families Are Fleeing Terror In Mali -- The Guardian

At refugee camps, reports are flooding in of horrific human rights abuses in a country once famous for its music and joyous lifestyle. Mark Townsend reports on the jihadist nightmare in the Sahel

They were told to assemble in Gao's market place at dusk. A man accused of using tobacco was escorted before the crowd by several members of the al-Qaida splinter group Movement for Tawhid and Jihad in West Africa.

"Then they chopped off his hand. They wanted to show us what they could do," said Ahmed, 39, a meat trader from the town in northern Mali.

That was not the end of it. The severed hand was tossed into a vat of boiling water. Then, according to Ahmed, the man was pinned down and over the next hour the bent, misshapen hand was sewn crudely back onto his stump. Ahmed, too terrified to disclose his full name, fled Gao the next day, 8 November: "I had to go. I could not live my life."

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My Comment: Unfortunately .... military intervention alone will not solved the problem.

Political Chaos In Mali As Prime Minister Is Forced To Resign

Mali Prime Minister's Resignation Edges The Country Closer To War -- The Guardian

Another civilian leader being unseated by the military severely limits the likelihood of successful negotiation or intervention

Mali's interim prime minister – and Nasa's ex-interplanetary navigator – Cheikh Modibo Diarra was chased out of office on Tuesday morning. He'd been arrested the night before by soldiers under the orders of Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo, the man who led the coup that set the country into a disastrous spiral of instability in March. Early Tuesday morning, in a terse and sombre statement on national television (in French and in Bambara), Diarra gave up his post and took his government with him. What that means for Mali's political future is anyone's guess, but it doesn't look good.

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More News On the Crisis In Mali

Mali’s Prime Minister Resigns After Arrest -- New York Times
Mali's PM forced to resign, after arrest by junta -- AP
Mali's junta forces prime minister to resign -- Washington Post
Mali's PM Resigns After Soldiers Detain Him -- Wall Street Journal
Mali's prime minister abruptly resigns after arrest -- CNN
Mali's PM Resigns After Arrest by Junta Soldiers -- Voice of America
Mali's ex-rocket-scientist prime minister forced to quit by army (+video) -- Christian Science Monitor
Mali PM's resignation 'not a coup' -- Sydney Morning Herald/AFP
France says Mali mission more urgent after PM resignation -- Deutsche Welle
France calls for new representative government in Mali after Diarro's resignation -- RFI
Prime Minister’s Ousting Complicates Strategy to Curb Mali’s Islamists -- International Herald Tribune

The Conflict In Mali Continues

UN Urges ‘Swift’ Action On Mali -- Voice of America

The U.N. Security Council has called for a “swift” response to the crisis in Mali, saying the situation there threatens regional peace and security.

The 15-nation Council said Monday that a comprehensive and strategic approach is needed that includes restoring Mali's territorial integrity and preventing further destabilization of other countries in Africa's Sahel region.

Rebels and Islamist extremist groups seized control of northern Mali earlier this year. Some of those groups imposed a harsh form of Islamic law, and more than 140,000 people have fled Mali.

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More News On The Conflict In Mali

Washington backs lead role for Algeria in promoting dialogue between Mali and rebels -- Washington Post
U.S. Endorses Algeria’s Lead Role in Mali Crisis, But Skeptics Abound -- North Africa Journal
Mali Gambles on Warlord as Peacemaker -- Wall Street Journal
US slaps sanctions on radical Mali-based Islamist movement -- Washington Post/AP
US adds West African group, 2 leaders, to terrorism list -- Long War Journal
Islamist group in Mali now on US terrorism list -- AFP
Mali neighbours urged to up border patrols -- The Australian
EU approves military training mission for Mali -- Deutsche Welle
EU to train Mali army to fight northern militants -- Reuters
EU Moves Closer to Mali Training Mission -- Wall Street Journal
Doubts over Mali military mission -- Deutsche Welle
US, France differ over how to deal with 'explosive' Mali -- Reuters
Why the world is preparing for war in Mali -- D.B. Grady, The Week
Terror central in Mali -- Washington Post editorial
Timbuktu Pictures: Before and After al Qaeda -- National Geographic

War In Mali Is About To Escalate

Area held by Islamist rebel groups Ansar Dine and MUJWA in northern Mali. Map by Evan Centanni, modified from Wikimedia map by Orionist, using images by Carport and NordNordWest (source). License: CC BY-SA.

War Is Coming To Mali -- Gwynne Dyer, Winnipeg Free Press

You probably haven't given much thought to the problems in Mali, but United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has, and his advice on military intervention in that West African country could be summed up in two words: forget it. Although, being a diplomat, he actually used a great many more words than that.

Mali's 14 million people are almost all Muslims, but there is a deep ethnic divide between the black African majority in the southern half of the country and the Tuaregs (only 10 per cent of the population) who dominate the desert northern half. Last March, a military coup in the capital, Bamako, distracted the Malian army long enough for Tuareg separatists to seize control of the entire north.

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More News On The Crisis In Mali

Mali separatists, Islamist group make pledges in talks aimed at avoiding military operation -- Washington Post
Mali Govt. Holds First Direct Talks With Rebel Groups -- RTT
Mali government, Islamists and separatists agree on peace talks -- Reuters
Mali Islamic Rebels Reject Terrorism, Agree to Work for National Unity -- Voice of America
Mali rebels vow to respect national unity -- The Australian

Ivorian President Urges Swift Military Action in Mali -- Voice of America
Military intervention in Mali could begin in early 2013, Ivory Coast leader says -- Washington Post/AP
I. Coast leader wants armed Mali intervention early 2013 -- AFP

Malians In The South Want Islamists Out Of The North -- NPR
American Commander Details Al Qaeda’s Strength in Mali -- New York Times
AFRICOM chief: Terror groups digging in, cooperating in Africa -- Stars and Stripes
US military: Intervention in Mali now would fail -- AP
Terror Groups in Africa Work With Al-Qaeda, General Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Morocco Warns Of Growing Terrorist Threat In Mali -- NPR
Challenges persist in confronting growing threat of al Qaeda in Mali -- CNN

Getting Ready For War In Mali

US, France Assemble Coalition To Confront Islamists In Mali -- Long War Journal

The Islamist takeover of two-thirds of Mali this year has spurred the West as well as concerned neighboring countries in Africa to find a way to restore Mali to its democratic path and drive out jihadist elements. Islamist groups in Mali currently include Ansar Dine, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which is considered one of the most dangerous of al Qaeda's affiliated groups.

AQIM establishes itself in northern Mali

In March of this year, the Malian government was overthrown by a military coup. The resulting disorder and weakening of the central government galvanized Tuareg secessionists and allied Islamist groups, including Ansar Dine and MUJAO, to shake off government control and declare an independent Islamic state. The Tuaregs were subsequently largely pushed out of the Islamist coalition, which now controls a large area in northern Mali (Azawad) that includes the cities of Timbuktu, Kidal, and Gao.

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More News On The Conflict In Mali

Islamists drive Tuareg rebels from Mali town: sources -- AFP
Mali Islamists claim victory over Tuaregs -- News24
Mali: Fighting resumes in north between Islamist extremists and secular rebels -- Washington Post/AP
Tuareg rebels battle Islamists for north Mali town -- Reuters
Mali: Fighting resumes in north between rebels -- AP
Exclusive: Mali war against Islamists unlikely before mid-2013 -- Defence Web/Reuters
EU agrees Mali support mission 'in principle' -- AFP
Military Intervention in Mali: Military Logistics and Human Costs -- Stefan Simanowitz, Huffington Post
West Africa: Algeria Ready to Close Mali Border -- allAfrica.com
Mali: No Quick Fixes for a Complex Crisis -- Gilles Yabi, allAfrica.com
Mission impossible in Mali -- Deutsche Welle

Preparing For War In Mali

Military Planners Prepare For War In Mali -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Military experts from Africa, the United Nations and Europe have drafted plans to recapture northern Mali, officials said on Tuesday, as one faction of the Islamist rebels who occupy the territory called for talks.

A source with knowledge of the plan said the plan would involve a force of more than 4,000 personnel, mostly from West African countries.

"Every military option will be used - ground and air," the source said, asking not to be named.

The crisis in Mali has become a security concern for Western governments worried its vast desert could turn into a training ground for al Qaeda-linked militants.

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More News On The Crisis In Mali

ECOWAS Considers Mali Troop Intervention Plan -- Voice of America
Nigerian army's Mali mission stalls amid doubts it can fight -- The Guardian
Bracing for a Military Offensive Against Islamists in Mali, Algeria Remains Unconvinced but “Willing” -- North Africa Journal
Ansar Dine Delegation Seeking Algerian Mediation in Mali Crisis -- Al-Monitor
Mali militia spokesman says group willing to negotiate, warns of foreign intervention -- Al Arabiya
North Mali Islamist Group Says It Rejects Violence -- Wall Street Journal
Mali Islamist rebels urge dialogue, halt to hostilities -- AFP
Mali's Ansar Dine Islamists in humanitarian aid deal -- BBC
Mali: Ansar Al-Din Begins Peace Talks -- Eurasia Review
Algeria’s Role in Northern Mali -- Morgan Lorraine Roach, Heritage
Foreign jihadists continue to pour into Mali -- Threat Matrix
Foreign Militants Complicate Crisis in Northern Mali -- Morgan Lorraine Roach and Adam Gianella, Heritage Foundation

Al Qaeda Consolidates Control In Northern Mali

Al Qaida-Linked Groups Cement Control In Northern Mali As Diplomats Ponder intervention -- McClatchy News

MOPTI, Mali — Not long ago, this green oasis was a bustling tourist destination. Now it’s the would-be jumping off point for the world’s newest battle against Islamist extremism.

From here, the Niger River flows north, to where al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and its allies have since April maintained unchallenged control over Mali’s vast desert expanse.

Once prosperous fancy hotels lie dark at night, truck stops overflow with refugees and, outside of town, a militia camps out near an abandoned basketball court, waiting for action.

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My Comment: A sobering look at how difficult it is going to be to defeat Al Qaeda in northern Mali as more time passes by.

U.S. And Allies Get Ready For Military Intervention In Northern Mali

U.S., Allies Marshaling African Proxies For Fight Against Terrorism -- L.A. Times

"A quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing."

That was how British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain saw the Nazi threat against the Czech Sudetenland in 1938, a sentiment freshly evoked among war-weary citizens as the United States and its allies ponder moves to oust Islamic extremists from northern Mali, a country most Americans couldn't find on a map.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and diplomatic counterparts from France have been shopping around a plan to train and equip West African troops to drive out the Al Qaeda-aligned militants who hold sway over a swath of northern Mali the size of Texas. Ultraorthodox Muslims this year hijacked a long-simmering rebellion by ethnic Tuaregs and began imposing an extreme version of Islamic law once in power. In July, they took axes to "idolatrous" cultural treasures in Timbuktu, provoking worldwide horror at the destruction.

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More News On U.S. And Allies Preparing For A Military Intervention In Mali

EU considers sending 200 troops to train Mali army -- Reuters
Europe’s Response to Mali Threat -- Wall Street Journal
Armed Intervention for Mali Being Finalized -- Voice of America
Experts meet on Mali army intervention -- News24
African leaders tout military mission in Mali -- Deutsche Welle
Africa-led force could be deployed in Mali within weeks -- The National
EU Weighs Options for Helping Mali -- Spiegel Online
EU may send troops to Mali for training -- iol News
Islamist rebels vow assault on Malian capital if international forces attack -- the Guardian
US, Algeria See Moderate Tuaregs as Key to Ending Mali Partition -- Voice of America

Daily Life in Islamist Northern Mali

A Trip Through Hell: Daily Life in Islamist Northern Mali -- Spiegel Online

For months, an Islamist regime has been terrorizing northern Mali. Hundreds of thousands have already fled the region, and those who have stayed behind are experiencing new forms of cruelty with each passing day. A SPIEGEL reporter documents a two-week journey through a region Europe fears will become the next Somalia.

For months, an Islamist regime has been terrorizing northern Mali. Hundreds of thousands have already fled the region, and those who have stayed behind are experiencing new forms of cruelty with each passing day. A SPIEGEL reporter documents a two-week journey through a region Europe fears will become the next Somalia.

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My Comment: The dynamics on the ground in Mali are probably going to change very soon.

U.S. Tries To Build A Coalition To Confront Al Qaeda In Mali

Clinton In Algeria For Talks On Mali -- Voice of America

ALGIERS — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Algeria for talks on fighting terrorism in Africa's Sahel region. The Obama administration is looking for Algerian cooperation against Muslim extremists in northern Mali.

​​​Secretary Clinton talked with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika about backing West African efforts against Islamic extremists in northern Mali.

When a March coup toppled the government in Bamako, militant groups in the north imposed a strict version of Islamic law. The terrorist group al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, known as AQIM, expanded its operations in northern Mali, moving to extend its reach throughout the Sahel.

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More News On U.S. Efforts To Press For Mali Military Action

U.S. Tries to Coordinate Anti-Militant Push in Mali -- New York Times
Hillary Clinton in Algeria to press for Mali military action -- The Telegraph
U.S. Seeks Algeria's Help in Possible Mali Move -- Wall Street Journal/AP
US seeks Algeria's support in possible Mali move -- AP
U.S. pushes Algeria to support military intervention in Mali -- Washington Post
Mali crisis focus for Clinton's Algeria visit -- BBC
Clinton in Algeria to press action on Mali -- The Australian
US, France pressure Algeria to stop fence-sitting on Mali -- AFP

A Plan To Defeat Al Qaeda In Mali

Graphic showing the areas of Mali which are now controlled by AQIM (al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb)

Finally, A Plan To Prise Mali From al-Qaeda's Grip -- David Blair, Daily Telegraph

The strategy for how to prise northern Mali from al-Qaeda’s grip is slowly emerging. By the end of this year, the Security Council will probably decide to authorise the deployment of an African force consisting of 6,000 troops, funded and supported by the West. Half the soldiers will come from Mali’s national army and half from other African countries. America, France and Britain will supply logistics and intelligence. The force will probably be ready to go into action some time next year. But don’t expect the northern deserts of Mali, which “al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb” (AQIM) and its local allies captured in March, to be freed any time soon.

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My Comment: Considering the vast region that al-Qaeda now controls, I suspect that it will take a long time to 'kick-out' Al Qaeda's soldiers and their sympathizers.

Foreign Jihadist Fighters Pour Into Mali

Mali Crisis: 'Foreign Fighters Come To Help Islamists' -- BBC

Foreign fighters have arrived in a town in northern Mali, Gao's exiled mayor has told the BBC, confirming reports of an influx of jihadists to the north.

Sadou Diallo said between 60 and 100 Algerians and Sahrawis had come into the town about four or five days ago.

A resident in Timbuktu told the AFP news agency on Monday that Sudanese Islamists had arrived over the weekend.

Plans are under way for military intervention after Islamists took over northern Mali earlier this year.

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More News On Foreign Jihadist Fighters Pouring Into Mali

Jihadists build up forces in Mali bastion -- UPI
Foreign jihadists pour into northern Mali -- AFP
Foreign Jihadists Pour Into Mali After Hearing About UN-Backed Offensive -- Business Insider
Officials see delay before northern Mali offensive -- CBS/AP
Mali offensive to retake north will take time -- Global Post
French, US officials hold talks on Mali in Paris -- AFP
Fight against Mali Islamists will be 'difficult': France -- AFP
France to send drones to Mali in fight against al-Qaida-backed insurgents -- The Guardian
France to send surveillance drones to West Africa as it talks with US about Mali -- Washington Post/AP
France resumes military co-operation with Mali -- The Telegraph
Britain to support African force in bid to recapture northern Mali -- The Telegraph
Europe must help Mali against Islamist rebels - Germany -- Reuters
Germany could assist in Mali training mission: Merkel -- Reuters
A ticking time bomb: What's behind the instability in Mali? -- Faith Karimi and Erin Burnett, CNN

Getting Ready To Invade Northern Mali

African Force Set For Northern Mali -- The Telegraph

An army of 6,000 African troops will be mobilised to wrest the deserts of northern Mali from al-Qaeda's control, with European countries providing intelligence and logistics, according to a senior French official.

Earlier this year, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and their local allies routed Mali's national army and seized an area more than three times the size of Britain. This branch of the terrorist network now dominates over 300,000 square miles of territory, complete with arms dumps, airports, military bases and the ancient Saharan city of Timbuktu.

If AQIM stays in control, it will use this vast region to threaten the rest of Africa and the wider world, said the French official. This territory was "totally controlled" by "terrorists" and already serving as a "magnet for bad guys across the region," he said.

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More News On Military Forces Being Prepared To Invade Northern Mali

Timetable for Military Intervention in Northern Mali Uncertain -- Voice of America
Few to Take On Mali Militants -- Wall Street Journal
Talk of N. Mali intervention grows; no action soon -- Washington Times/AP
France urges swift action as Mali militant threat grows -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters
Mali prepares for attack on northern insurgents -- The Guardian
North Mali lawmakers call for 'urgent' intervention -- AFP
Mali Islamists destroy more saints' tombs in Timbuktu: witnesses -- AFP
Mali Islamists bulldoze more tombs in Timbuktu -- Reuters
Mali: Military Intervention Is Necessary, Inevitable but (Until Now) Impossible -- allAfrica.com
Drums of war beat in Mali -- Shakir Noori, Gulf News

Preparing For Military Action Against Islamic Militants In Mali

EU To Plan Military Training Mission For Mali -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The European Union said on Monday it would draw up plans for a possible military training mission to help Mali's army regain control of the Islamist-dominated north of the country.

Mali descended into chaos in March when soldiers toppled the president, leaving a power vacuum that enabled Tuareg rebels to seize two-thirds of the country. But Islamists, some allied with al Qaeda, have hijacked the revolt in the north.

"We believe there's a real risk for the region if Mali remains an ungoverned space, free for terrorists and drug traffickers to operate," said EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton.

"I hope that what we'll see in the future is a Malian government with a credible roadmap for the restoration of democratic government."

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More News On Talk Of Military Intervention In Mali

U.S. backs African military role in Mali -- UPI
Talk of N. Mali intervention grows, no action soon. -- Stars and Stripes/AP
EU starts planning possible military training mission to troubled African country of Mali -- AP
Mali Islamists tell France they will open doors of hell -- Reuters
Mali rebels threaten France over intervention -- Al Jazeera
Intervention in Mali should not worsen unrest: new AU chair -- AFP
The threat from Mali -- Eric Margolis, The Nation
Military action necessary for Mali peace deal -- Gulf News editorial

Foreign Military Intervention In Mali?

 

Mali's PM Calls For Foreign Intervention -- Al Jazeera 

Cheick Modibo Diarra calls for military help to defeat Islamist rebels, who control vast swathes of territory in north. Mali's prime minister has called for the UN Security Council to approve international military intervention in his country to defeat rebels who control vast swathes of territory in the north. Cheick Modibo Diarra's call on Wednesday came as Francois Hollande, the French president, called for the council to approve African military intervention in Mali "as quickly as possible". "The government of Mali would like to see the immediate presence of this force to support the defence and security in carrying out their noble mission of recovering and maintaining territorial integrity and protecting persons and property," Diarra said. 

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More News On The Crisis In Mali  

Mali: UN Takes Up Intervention Plan On Mali -- allAfrica.com
U.N. members divided over response to Mali crisis -- Reuters
US, France Urge UN to Approve African Force for Mali -- Voice of America
France’s Hollande calls for Mali intervention, Clinton says nation can’t fight Islamists alone -- Washington Post/AP
France calls for Mali intervention -- AP
UN Chief: ‘Do Not Abandon’ Sahel -- Voice of America
Mali's humanitarian crisis may worsen if intervention calls heeded, UN warned -- The Guardian Mali: Imminent Intervention, Uncertain Future -- Penelope Chester, UN Dispatch
A military solution for Mali rebellion? -- Al Jazeera

Five Million Face Starvation In Mali

Mali: Five Million Face Starvation -- The Independent

A horrific situation is developing in West Africa. Christian Aid's Andrew Hogg reports from Mopti.

Appearances in Mali are deceptive. The country is in the grip of a food crisis, yet fields either side of the road heading north from the capital, Bamako, are lush with newly grown crops of maize, millet and okra.

Mango trees abound, alongside baobabs, valued for their fruit pulp, which makes a porridge high in vitamin C, as well as karite trees – called shea in English – which bear nuts providing cooking oil. Roadside stalls boast bananas, guavas and aubergines, while, at intervals, fisherman in pirogues can be seen at work on the broad, dun-coloured waters of the River Niger or on one of its major tributaries, the Bani. But the further one journeys towards the front line with the north of the country, largely desert and now in the hands of Islamist rebels and Tuareg secessionists, the sparser the vegetation, and the hungrier the people.

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More News On The Crisis In Mali

Families in Mali running out of food -- Examiner
Aid Agencies Combat Mali Cholera Outbreak -- Voice of America
Resistance to Islamist terror stirs in northern Mali -- Deutsche Welle
U.N.: Over 435,000 displaced, children forced to fight in Mali -- L.A. Times
Warlord threatens war on the West -- NBC News
Mali announces new government 5 months after coup; some ministers close to coup leader -- Washington Post

The Unrest And Conflict Grows In Mali

Saying Mali ‘Is Our Country,’ Militias Train To Oust Islamists -- New York Times

MOPTI, Mali — Hundreds of young men are stuffed into makeshift training camps near this provincial capital, arising at 4 a.m. for physical exercises and simulated hand-to-hand combat in preparation for the day when they can free their north Mali homeland from the radical Islamists whose harsh rule has driven tens of thousands of frightened, desperate civilians to flee the country.

The eager recruits have almost no weapons, little military instruction, and not much more than the hard ground to sleep on. They are definitely not in the army. A trainer in a scavenged uniform yells out, “Present, arms!” but there are no arms to present.

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More News On The Unrest And Conflict In Mali

Mali's civilian militia has many hands but arms in short supply -- Sydney Morning Herald
Citizen militias spring up in Mali -- UPI
Malians take up arms to drive out al-Qa'ida -- The Independent
North Mali villages forced to fend for themselves after Islamist takeover -- France24
Mali needs other options if diplomacy fails: Rabat -- AFP
France would back Mali intervention -- The Australian/AFP
Mali seeks to form unity government -- Deutsche Welle
West Africa: Drug Trafficking and the Crisis in Mali -- allAfrica.com
Addressing an Imploding Mali -- Council On Foreign Relations