“The UN Secretary-General is deeply concerned about fighting between Tuareg rebel groups and government forces in northern Mali…he is especially troubled by the large-scale humanitarian consequences of the crisis, including civilian casualties and thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) with many more seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, thus aggravating an already dire humanitarian situation throughout the Sahel region.” - Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Mali conflict
Last week the UN launched an appeal for $35.6 million in its response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the northern part of the West African country of Mali. The conflict between government forces and Tuareg rebel groups has resulted in the deaths of dozens and the displacement, within and outside the country, of nearly 130,000 people. The majority of the displaced people are said to have fled to neighbouring Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso.
The recent clashes, which began on 17th January has reignited the decades-long conflict between the Malian government and the Mouvement National de Liberation de l’Azawad (MNLA) which was temporarily brought to an end via the 2009 peace deal signed by both parties. The nomadic Tuareg seek greater autonomy from the Malian government coupled with demands linked to land, cultural and linguistic rights. The MNLA’s official mission statement proffers that the group’s aims include freeing “the Azawadan people from the illegal occupation of Azawadan territory held by Mali” and further “to hold a referendum to determine if Azawadians want a separate independent republic”.
The Malian government have so far repeatedly claimed that the rebels are al-Qaeda collaborators or in essence, the West African branch of the organisation. It is also widely claimed by media agencies that the MNLA rebels comprise of returning fighters who fought alongside Libya’s now dethroned Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The government itself have hardly covered themselves in glory. It has strongly been accused by NGO’s and media outlets that it has deliberately targeted and shelled civilian areas populated by the Tuareg and also of not doing enough to protect the Tuareg peoples.
Amnesty International has been particularly scathing in asserting that both the MNLA and the Malian army have failed to protect civilians not involved in the conflict as stated in the Geneva Convention. Gaetan Mootoo, the organisation’s researcher on West Africa said last week: “It is the civilian population who are bearing the brunt of this indiscriminate bombing. In addition to human casualties the attacks have killed dozens of cattle, camels and goats which the nomad Tuareg population rely on … these bombings violate international humanitarian law and the government must stop them immediately”.
The West African economic bloc, together with the USA and France has called for an end to the violence. The UN in particular has called on the rebels to immediately cease its attacks on civilians and government forces and rather to engage in dialogue with the Malian government to resolve their grievances. What is concerning is the humanitarian consequence of the civil strife and the refugee crisis spawn as a result hence the UN’s calls for funds. Adrian Edwards, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson, said last week that the funds “will be used by UNHCR to provide emergency assistance to the displaced in Mali and neighbouring countries”.
Unfortunately the resumption of hostilities detracts attention from the famine and hunger in the neighbouring Sahel region of Africa and the longer the conflict persists, the more likely it is that preventable deaths caused by famine will become commonplace. If the Malian government is to avoid fresh bloodshed it needs to act now by swallowing its pride and engaging the rebels in roundtable talks as opposed to the armed engagement currently being favoured by both sides. Unfortunately the losers of this sad debacle will be the civilian non-actors in the violence and the Tuareg populace who ironically have borne the greatest losses since fighters representing the tribe took up arms against the Malian government.
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