ABSTRACT
In Mali, militarization remains the dominant agenda for fighting armed groups. This ignores the tensions on the ground. Intervention that fails to make space for local knowledge and local solutions will fail. Where the formal state is absent, which is the vast majority of Mali’s territory, power is negotiated at the local level through agreements between local actors, including local traditional authorities, Imams, or jihadists. The state needs to acknowledge these local-level peacemaking efforts. Governance reform has not taken hold and with new international actors such as the Wagner Group mercenaries, it is unlikely that progress toward peace will be made. The FAMA’s military approach, alongside the Wagner Group, is merely supporting a shell of a state. This chapter shows that, as a result, Malians are enduring persistent conflict and elusive security.
