ABSTRACT
The start of Mali’s conflict is largely attributed to the 2011 fall of the Muammar Gadhafi regime in Libya, which resulted in regional instability, the proliferation of weapons in the Liptako-Gourma region. The relentless spread of insecurity has resulted in unprecedented displacement rates, increased human-rights violations (including sexual violence) and a widened gap between those in power and their populations. The Malian crisis is not contained within its borders, as it poses significant challenges to peace and stability in the wider Sahel region. Since the most recent coup, attempts by the military junta of Colonel Assimi Goita to do away with former regional and international partnerships highlight an ambition to revamp its counter-terrorism approach. The reinvigoration of the Azawad independence cause is likely to harm Mali’s attempt at mending national divisions. By openly contesting and delegitimising symbols of the state – whether it be through active battles against the Malian Armed Forces, targeting government officials or attacking state structures.
