ABSTRACT
The path to disorder began in January 2012, when northern populations staged the fourth rebellion since Mali achieved independence from France in 1960. The Algiers Accords in 2015 officially ended the rebellion of 2012–2015 and attempted to provide a way forward for Mali. The Malian conflict is characterised by numerous highly fluid and interconnected armed groups, some consisting of only a dozen people, whose allegiances regularly shift. The Malian Armed Forces plays the primary role in responding to security incidents around the country, including jihadist activity. French forces first entered the conflict in 2013 with Operation Serval, responding to an official request by the Malian government for French assistance following the jihadist occupation of multiple Malian cities, including Timbuktu. Islamic State in the Greater Sahara is a nascent extremist group operating in the tri-border area between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
