Topic B: Political Instability in Mali
Security Council
By: Skylar Wilson
Introduction
The political instability in Mali has become a growing concern for the international
community for many years. Mali is a nation in Western Africa, which was a colony of
France until 1960. After gaining
independence, Mali was ruled by
Modibo Keïta, a socialist president
who was in power for eight years.
In 1968, Keïta's regime was
overthrown in a coup, led by Moussa Traoré, who quickly assumed the role of president.
Under the Traoré regime, there was famine that killed thousands. The regime faced civil
unrest, and by the late 1980s, most of the population was displeased with the government.
By 1990, organized resistance movements began to arise. In 1991, a revolution (known as
the March Revolution) began, which led to a successful coup of President Moussa Traoré.
Pro-democracy protests occurred throughout the nation, which the military retaliated
against. Over one hundred peaceful protesters were killed by the military within the four
days of the protest.1 After four days, many soldiers chose to join the pro-democracy
movement, and put down their arms. A national congress met in order draft a new
constitution, which established democracy in Mali.
1
"Mali's"
Background Information: 1992 to Now
In 1992, the first democratic election was conducted. President Alpha Oumar
Konaré was the first elected president of Mali. He served from 1992 to 2002. In the ten
years of his presidency, the nation faced little difficulty, and the transition to democracy
reshaped Mali into a politically stable nation. However, Konaré's successor, President
Amadou Toumani Touré, was not able to maintain this stability in his two terms as
president. In January 2012, conflict commenced, as
many revolutionary groups fought against the
government. The primary group responsible for the
conflict at this time was the National Movement for
the Liberation of Azawad.
The National Movement for the Liberation
of Azawad is an organization of Tuareg people, who
are fighting to establish control over an area known as Azawad, which they consider their
homeland. The Tuareg people have lived in Northern Africa since the fifth century BCE,
with approximately one million currently living in the region.2 When Mali gained
independence in 1960, the Tuareg people wanted to gain sovereignty over Azawad, but this
dream was crushed by the new Malian government. The Malian people argue that only
2
"Tuareg"
approximately 10% of Mali is Tuareg, making them a minority in almost all of Mali.3 The
only area where there is a majority of Tuareg people is a region called Kidal.
On March 22, 2012, President Amadou Toumani Touré was overthrown in a coup,
and an organization of soldiers known as the National Committee for the Restoration of
Democracy and State (CNRDR) took control. Because there was chaos under the CNRDR,
the National Movement for the
Liberation of Azawad saw the
opportunity to seize Kidal, Gao,
and Timbuktu; which are the three
largest cities in Northern Mali. On
April 6, 2012, the National
Movement for the Liberation of
Azawad (MNLA) declared independence from Mali.4 They stated on their website, "On
behalf of the free and defiant Azawadi people... We have decided to irrevocably declare the
independence of the state of Azawad."5 This declaration was disregarded by most of the
international community, as the MNLA was directly connected to the Qaddafi regime in
Libya, and are also reported to have ties with branches of al-Qaeda, and another Islamic
extremist group called Ansar Dine.6 Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is the
branch of al-Qaeda in Mali. AQIM was reportedly involved in the coup to overthrow
3
"Age-old"
"Tuareg Rebels"
5
Ibid.
6
"Mali Crisis"
4
President Amadou Toumani Touré in 2012.7 By July 2012, the MNLA had seized control of
almost all major cities in Northern Mali.
In January 2013, the Malian government requested international assistance to regain
political stability, and to take action against the extremist organizations in the north. France
was the first nation to respond to their plea, quickly sending forces to combat the extremist
groups. The Malian military was able to regain control over their territory, with the help of
international military forces.
On June 18, 2013, the Malian government and Tuareg rebels signed a peace deal,
which was meant to make Malian presidential elections easier.8 However, the Tuareg
rebels claimed that the government was not respecting their side of the truce, and decided to
suspend their participation in September 2013. Fighting still continues today, and tensions
have once again begun to rise between the Malian government and Tuareg organizations.
UN Involvement
The situation in Mali has been a priority for the United Nations Security Council for
the past three years. The first resolution they passed on the conflict was S/RES/2056, which
expressed the support of the African Union's action in Mali, and demanded that the rebel
groups relinquish the control of Northern Mali. The next resolution passed was
S/RES/2071, which requested for Tuareg rebels to cut all ties with terrorist organizations
7
"Making"
8
"Mali Signs"
such as Al-Qaeda. It also demands for all parties involved to be more aware of the human
rights violations occurring in the conflict, to try to prevent more violations. S/RES/2085
was the last resolution passed in 2012, which emphasized the need for redeployment of
Malian troops to ensure long term stability. It also urged all parties in the conflict to ensure
safety of humanitarian personnel. In 2013, the Security Council passed S/RES/2100. This
resolution commended the Malian National Assembly, as they took the first step towards
stability in Mali. It also urged the government to hold a fair and transparent presidential
election. The most recent resolution passed was S/RES/2164, which was passed in 2014.
This resolution urged the signatories of the ceasefire to respect it fully, and stressed the
importance of all armed groups in Mali to cease hostilities.
Conclusion
Though the international community thought they had seen the end of this conflict in
Mali in 2013, extremist groups are still fighting over control in northern Mali. This council
will focus on short term goals such as ceasefires and militaristic action against extremist
groups, as well as long term goals to ensure that Mali will regain the stability it once
possessed. The delegation should carefully consider the ramifications of short-term actions
on long-term consequences.
Guided Questions
1. What ties does your nation have to Mali, and its allies? Consider your nation's alliances,
such as the African Union, European Union, etc.
2. What resolutions has your nation supported or not supported, in regards to this situation?
3. Is your nation at risk from the terrorist organizations fighting in Mali? How does this
change your nation's perspective on the conflict?
4. Does your nation have ethnic groups that have tried to secede from your nation? How did
your nation handle it? How does this impact your view on this conflict?
5. How can a new Malian government rule the many groups with differing opinions in the
nation, without international intervention being necessary?
Works Cited:
Nesbitt, Katherine, and Stephen Zunes. "Mali's March Revolution (1991)." Movements and
Campaigns. Nonviolent Conflict, Apr. 2009. Web. <http://www.nonviolentconflict.org/index.php/movements-and-campaigns/movements-and-campaignssummaries?sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=34&sobi2Id=10>.
De Laszlo, Damon. "The Tuareg of the African Sahara." Bradshaw Foundation. N.p., n.d.
Web. <http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/tuareg/>.
"Age-Old Tuareg Problem Looms Large." NDTV.com. N.p., 20 May 2014. Web.
<http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/age-old-tuareg-problem-looms-large-as-malibattles- rebels-527226>.
"Tuareg Rebels Declare the Independence of Azawad." Al Arabiya News. N.p., 6 Apr. 2012.
Web. <http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/04/06/205763.html>.
"Mali Crisis: Key Players." BBC News. N.p., 12 Mar. 2013. Web.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-17582909>.
Welsh, May Y. "Making Sense of Mali's Armed Groups." Al-Jazeera. N.p., 17 Jan. 2013.
Web. <http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/01/20131139522812326.html>.
"Mali Signs Peace Deal with Tuareg." BBC News. N.p., 18 June 2013. Web.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-22961519>.