U.S. and Algeria Discuss Ousting Mali Militants
On October 29, 2012, US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton met with Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The traveled to
Algeria to solicit their support in ousting the Islamic militants out of the
northern areas of Mali, which have become a safe haven for terrorists. These terrorist groups now include Al
Qaeda. Terrorists controlling
northern Mali are not just a concern to the United States, it is also a concern
for France (Mali’s former colonizer who maintains interests in its former
colony) as well as many surrounding African nations. The UN has passed
legislation outing its readiness to utilize international military force to
remove these terrorists from the region in response to the Mali government’s
cry for help. Algeria is a regional power in western Africa and its cooperation
on this assault would be imperative for its success. (1) These talks are in
response to a crisis that has been going on for several months now. Back in
July, one regugee camp alone became home to 92,000 refugees at Mauritania’s
remote eastern edge. The refugees describe and “influx of jihadists — some
homegrown and others possibly from afar — intent on imposing an Islam of lash
and gun on Malian Muslims who have long coexisted with Western tourists in the
fabled town of Timbuktu.” (2) the outlook for these refugees is slim as they
are malnourished, sick, and hungry. That just further emphasizes their resolve
to escape the repressive situation that has become their lives from whence they
fled. (2)
I chose this article because it ties to several of
the course’s topics that we have discussed. One example is that intervening in
northern Mali creates the risk of driving militants north into Algerian
territory. This is evidence of the spillover effect of violence in African
nations due to porous borders. Another example of a theme from class is
France’s continued interests in Mali, even though Mali gained its independence
its colonizer half a century ago. A third example of this article tying to
depicting relatively democratized and successful African countries still facing
immense challenges to their political systems. According to the African
Leadership Index Mali ranks a B, is free, and is titled as a flawed democracy.
Despite all of these advances, because of their relatively weak state system
and neighbors they are still subject to the notion of two steps forward one
step back when instances like coups occur within their borders. Further
demonstrating the spillover and chain reaction of violence in other regional
African countries, according to the article, “The fall of Col. Muammar
el-Qaddafi in Libya prompted ethnic Tuareg rebels from Mali, who had been
fighting alongside Colonel Qaddafi’s forces, to return to northern Mali with
weapons from Libyan arsenals. They joined with Qaeda-affiliated Islamist
militants who had moved to the lightly policed region from Algeria, and the two
groups easily drove out the weakened Malian army in late March and early
April.” (1)
Based on my
understanding of the situation in Mali, I believe international intervention is
essential to resolving this conflict. As the article alluded to, the current
strategy is for the US and France to provide intelligence and training to Mali,
Algerian, and other African armies to combat the terrorists directly. I believe
this strategy is good because it not only keeps the US from directly getting
involved in what has come to be known as “African Afghanistan” (2) but it will
also empower Algeria and other regional powers to better be able to defend
their own nations against similar acts.
Works Cited
1. Gordon, Michael R.. " U.S.
and Algeria Discuss Ousting Mali Militants." The New York Times 29 Oct. 2012: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.
2. Nossiter, Adam. "Jihadists’
Fierce Justice Drives Thousands to Flee Mali." The New York Times 17 July 2012: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.
I agree with you that international intervention in this way is probably the best idea to deal with the extremists in Mali. The area is just such a great spawning ground for terrorists and they can easily become a dominating force there without the international community helping countries like Mali and Algeria who do not have the power to take this problem on themselves.
ReplyDeleteMali presents a good opportunity for an ECOWAS or joint AU/UN intervention. The number of combatants is fairly low and a force of a few thousand could provide a sufficient deterrent to continued combat. We should be careful, however, to distinguish the various factions involved. The Touareg rebels are fighting an ongoing, regional insurgency that has been flaring up for decades, while their sometimes allies Ansar Dine are associated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Since June the Touareg MNLA and Ansar Dine have suffered a serious falling out, leading to numerous clashes. The international community would do well to brand the MNLA/state conflict as a civil war, with the attendant obligations on the combatants, while focusing on Ansar Dine as illegal combatants and egregious violators of human rights. Indeed, if the issues raised by the Touareg community were addressed, they could become valuable allies against AQIM across the region, accelerating the restoration of order in Mali.
ReplyDeleteDavid-
ReplyDeleteInteresting article about the motivations and security interests of a potential Mali intervention. I wonder if the militants that are the target of the proposed intervention would flee into other countries since they do not have any real ties to Mali, leaving the Tauregs as the target of most of the violence. Also, I wonder how many troops are needed for such a large territory