The Tuareg people are a historically nomadic ethnic group who have populations throughout Mali, Algeria, Libya, Niger, and Burkina Faso. In the past year the Tuareg’s strides for a state of their own has attracted the notice of the international community, particularly their strides in Mali. This conflict has involved many players from the international community and does not seem to have an end in sight.
Unrest has plagued Mali for quite some time, this nation has had a series of coups and ousted leaders since freedom from the French in 1959. However, since 2002 Mali had, up until 2012, enjoyed a somewhat tenuous peace, during President Amadou Toure’s leadership. Despite major food shortages in 2005, a thriving cocaine trade, military operations against militants linked to al-Qaeda, and large amount of corruption, Mali seemed to be doing pretty well with its peaceful democratic elections and finding mineral wealth in its deserts. Many hailed Mali as the beacon of democracy in West Africa. However, in April of 2012, Tuareg rebels seized control of northern Mali and declared its independence. In May, the Islamist Ansar Dine rebel group joined with the Tuareg and declared northern Mali an Islamic state. However no other countries recognized their secession. As a result of the Tuareg rebellion, Junta leaders led a coup to overthrow President Amadou Toure, having already deposed the president after accusing him of failing to control the Tuareg rebellion, and put Captain Amadou Sanogo in charge. The mid-ranking army officer, known for his charisma, promised to defeat the rebels, but due to a lack of gun power, the coup actually allowed the allied rebels to tighten their grip on the north. The partnership between the Tuareg and the An...
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The prologue provides excellent background information leading up to the launch of the North African campaign, describing in juicy detail the Allied debate between a campaign in North Africa and a cross-channel invasion, presenting the idea that fighting in North Africa was really fighting for British imperial interests instead of get...
Tanner, Henry. ?Mali President Calls on Nation To Fight ?Foreign Subversion.?? New York Times 16 Jan. 1961: 2.
Being located in the west coast of Africa and between Guinea and Liberia, “Sierra Leone has an abundance of easily extractable diamonds”(BBC News). The diamonds had brought “encouragement” for violence in the country in 1991. Attacks of the Revolutionary “United Front (RUF) ,led by former army corporal Foday Sankoh”(Encyclopedia Britannica), were on government military and civilians. In response to a corrupt government, the RUF performed violent and terrorist acts that scarred many. “The RUF captured civilians and forced them to work”(Analyzing the Causes) in their army to gain control over Sierra Leone. The savages went a...
The great Machiavelli once said, "Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times." Indeed, the study of history is important as history does seem to repeat itself. Many people in today's society learn about the past from textbooks and other books, as these are of easy access. Is this really the best way to learn about the past? The people of ancient Africa did not think so, as they had special people called "griots"who passed the people's traditions and history down orally from generation to generation. One such griot, Mamadou Kouyate, recalls the story of the most famous ruler in African history, Sundiata, in D.T. Niane's book Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. This book has become an entertaining, yet scrutinized, source about the history of Mali and it's surrounding areas. Much scrutiny of this tale comes from those who question the validity of the griots, though Mamadou Kouyate is quick to point out that "[His] word is pure and free of all untruth; it is the word of [his] father...griots do not know what lying is" (Niane 1). If the context of the epic is true, then there are many valuable things to be learned from it including the traditions and customs of ancient Africa, and how Sundiata came to rule over such a large area. Based upon a reading of the text, it is easy to see that Sundiata's political power was not based soley on religion, as he used many conventional methods to gain and remain in power.
Print. The. The “Sierra Leone Profile.” BBC News: Africa.
In this section, I will provide a brief history of U.S. military involvement on the African continent, starting with the Barbary Wars and working up through the current date. This historical documentation will highlight the change in the role the United States has played in Africa [post 9-11???]. Prior to 9-11, the United States’ interactions were mainly [capture summary here]. Since [?], however, the continent has faced a marked increase in violent extremism and terrorism leading the United States to partner with many African nations in counterterrorism initiatives. These, and other initiatives, mean an increasing number U.S. service members are deploying to Africa to take part in training, humanitarian issues and military operations. These military activities are run by United States African Command, a recently created combatant command.
For over a half of a century in Rwanda, the Tutsi and Hutu people had fought back and forth over supremacy, due to a racial battle driven by discrimination and severe torment. The Tutsi and Hutu societies were pressed alongside one another by foreign colonialist powers up to 1994 when a something had finally sparked.
The Boli, or altar, figure from the Bamana peoples of Mali is a unique piece of art not based on what an individual knows about the figure, but rather what it doesn’t. The Boli has a secretive quality that harness energy from the community and peoples reactions to the Boli can fluctuate based on their interpretations on the object. The Boli is made of materials ranging from human bodily fluid to sticks and string. The figure is generally made to resemble an animal, typically a hippopotamus or cow, but over time with sacrificial material covering the figure it can become somewhat unclear. The Bamana peoples have an obscure relationship with the Boli for many reasons that could sprout from the materials it is made from, its uses in the society, and its extremely secretive nature.
Africa has been an interesting location of conflicts. From the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea to the revolutionary conflict in Libya and Egypt, one of the greatest conflicts is the Rwandan Genocide. The Rwandan Genocide included two tribes in Rwanda: Tutsis and Hutus. Upon revenge, the Hutus massacred many Tutsis and other Hutus that supported the Tutsis. This gruesome war lasted for a 100 days. Up to this date, there have been many devastating effects on Rwanda and the global community. In addition, many people have not had many acknowledgements for the genocide but from this genocide many lessons have been learned around the world.
Early 2011 uprisings swept across the Middle East and North Africa, and many rebellions are still going on today. The Arab region has seen revolts and conflict since the 1800‘s, but only recently have these revolts been redirected to the problems of Arab society (Ghannam, J. 2011 pg 4-5)The Arab Spring Uprising was first sparked in Tunisia and eventually struck Algeria, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen and then spread to other countries. Citizens throughout these countries were dissatisfied with the rule of their local governments. Issues like human rights violations, political corruption, economic decline, unemployment, extreme poverty, dictators...
After the French colonized Mali, it became known as Soudan Francis which is French Soudan. Mali had been under French rule from 1892- 1960. During these 68 years, the country’s borders expanded into present day Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso which is called Senegambia et Niger (WorldNet: Virginia Mali-History). Before the French arrived, central powers did not exist in Mali which caused agriculture to diminish. This made the Malian’s vulnerable for French control. When the French arrived they were searching for raw materials and markets to sell their manufactured goods; therefore, they forced Malians to grow cotton and peanuts.
We are now a decade on from the August 2003 Accra Peace agreement which drew a line under 14 years of civil war and the oppressive dictatorship of Charles Taylor. The peace agreement bought a renewed chance of peace and stability after the atrocities that had been committed across the country. A post-war transitional government was established consisting of 76 members: 12 each from the three warring parties; Government of the Republic of Liberia, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL). Other members from the remaining 18 political parties; seven from civil society and s...
"Major Problems Facing Cameroon Today." AFRICAW: Africa and the World. N.p., 9 Sept. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
The Kingdom of Mali was an African hub of wealth, trade and education for over 225 years. Mali is an Arab version of the Mandinka word that means, “Where the king dwells”, and was vitally important in spreading trade, education, religion and culture along the Niger River. The rise of Mali into an Empire occurred in the early 13th century, when Sundiata defeated his enemies and won control of the West African gold mines. In 1312 Mansa Musa became ruler of Mali. During his reign which was known as Mali’s, “Golden Age”, he introduced Islamic beliefs to many communities along the Niger and enhanced education after his historic pilgrimage to Mecca. Mali’s rise was attributed to the Trans-Saharan Trade routes leading to and from Western and Eastern Africa. These trade routes contributed to the rise and fall of powerful African Kingdoms for hundreds of years, but for 250 years, Mali was the crown jewel of Africa.