Email this article Ethno-Social Aspects of Conflict in Northern Mali
- Authors: Ponomarev I.V1
-
Affiliations:
- Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
- Issue: No 5 (2024)
- Pages: 56-65
- Section: Politics, economics
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/0321-5075/article/view/257205
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.31857/S032150750030862-0
- ID: 257205
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Abstract
The article offers an attempt to classify opposition and pro-government armed groups in northern Mali with a stress on their ethno-component. This factor is considered combined with two others – illegal business and jihadism. Such three factor analysis in a complex and situational milieu gives way to show that the formation of armed groups, their strategic alliances and competition are dependent on traditional status among the different ethno-fractions of the Tuaregs and Saharan Arabs. In the situation of racial stand-off the armed groups of the Songhai and Fulani play a minor role. Corruption, drug trafficking and clan ties come across such Eurocentric analytical stereotypes as government – insurgents, army – separatists, jihadists – nationalists. Recent escalation of conflict in northern Mali that pushed unexpectedly to unite opposition and former pro-government armed groups, calls into question the policy aimed to weaken the armed opposition by manipulations with ethnic factor.
Keywords
About the authors
I. V Ponomarev
Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
Email: iliaponomarev@inafr.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8848-3750
Moscow, Russia
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