Mali Bound

Sahel: Cocaine trafficking surges in the Sahel, as armed groups seek to profit from illicit tradeF

Annual cocaine seizures in the Sahel surged from 13 kilograms (28 pounds) in 2020 to 863 kilos just two years later as armed groups sought to profit from the illicit trade, the United Nations' drug agency said in its 2023 report. The largest seizures of the drug in...

UN peacekeeping missions in Africa at a crossroadsF

By Amélie Bottollier-Depois: When Mali recently called for a UN peacekeeping force to depart the country "without delay," it was the latest sign of unease in parts of Africa over the role of the so-called Blue Helmet operations. Mali Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop...

Sahel: Mali’s new constitution paves the way for more instability aheadF

Mali’s Problems in Four Minutes Opinion By Arezki Daoud: Yesterday, we reported how the Tuareg community in northern Mali has rejected the latest constitutional referendum imposed by the ruling military junta in Bamako. Not only the constitution gives tremendous power...

Sahel: Mali has a new constitutionF

Malian voters overwhelmingly approved changes to the constitution in a referendum, marking a key step in the ruling junta's declared plans to restore civilian rule, provisional results showed Friday. The military has made the draft constitution a cornerstone for the...