ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the international responses, which can be divided into four, partially overlapping phases. First, the initial reaction to the Tuareg/jihadist rebellion in early 2012 and the coup in Bamako. Second, the French and the Economic Community of West African States / African Union response to the southern offensive of the jihadists. Third, the aftermath of Serval and the deployment of the United Nations Multidimensional Mission for Stabilization in Mali and other missions/operations. Fourth, the deployment of the FC-G5S. The chapter discusses four broader issues that are relevant in the case of Mali: those are Inter-organizational rivalries among competing interveners, an extremely challenging national and regional intervention environment, and Cooperation challenges amongst numerous parallel deployments, which included military, civilian, and diplomatic tools; and The FC-G5S and the future of African crisis response. In the initial stages of the Mali meltdown, crisis response mechanisms were deployed in a relatively straightforward fashion.
