Publication

This paper explores the root causes of the complex security crisis in Mali in 2012/13. The author looks at how different elements - the increase in Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's (AQIM) activity, the military coup of 2012, and the long-running Tuareg nationalist movement - came together to create a security vacuum and fertile soil for the crisis. In concluding, the author recognizes positive developments in the country, but underlines significant challenges to the country’s long-term stability.