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Mali

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Overcoming Challenges Arising from the Creation of National Security Councils: A Framework and Lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa

This report for the Malian government explores the challenges in setting up a national security council. The author creates a theoretical framework for effectiveness, applies it to case studies, and presents suggestions for overcoming challenges.

Nov 5, 2018
Commentary

Mali Is France's Afghanistan, but with a Difference

At first glance the comparison between the French military operations in Mali and America’s involvement in Afghanistan is compelling, and in some important ways, accurate. It also presents some fundamental differences that give reason for optimism in France.

Dec 1, 2017
Commentary

What Is the Sahel G5 Force and Why Should the U.S. Support It?

The French Joint Force G-5 Sahel plan offers the possibility of strengthening the Sahel nations' efforts to combat terrorism. Supporting the French initiative is a worthy undertaking, provided, of course, that everyone understands what it is and is not.

Nov 6, 2017
Report

Armies Have a Role to Play in Nation Building

Events in Iraq and Mali have raised questions about the value of Security Force Assistance and U.S. capacity to strengthen client states' militaries in the face of insurgencies or other threats. History shows that SFA programs could be improved if they focused more on ideology and how an army complements a host country's larger nation-building efforts.

Oct 24, 2017
Commentary

Sahel Governments Need More Security Assistance

Developments in the Sahel are cause for alarm. Despite the presence of an active French counterterrorism force and a UN peacekeeping mission, al Qaeda groups are thriving. The region would benefit from approaches that combine police and military operations with economic development and improved governance.

Sep 14, 2017
Commentary

The U.S.-France Dustup Over Counterterrorism in the Sahel

It's time for Paris and Washington to get together with the G5 nations of the Sahel and draft a strategy for achieving shared objectives. The French cannot do it alone or even with the support of the G5 nations. The U.S. would be penny wise but pound foolish to stay aloof or even just uphold the status quo.

Jun 23, 2017
Report

How to Address Mali's Terrorist Problem

The terrorist threat in Mali is growing, but the country's military remains largely ineffective. Mali can't handle the threat without outside help. How can the United States engage Mali and other partners to help foster greater security and stability?

Apr 20, 2017
Commentary

What Mali Really Needs

Mali needs more international engagement, as well as serious pressure on the Malian state to strengthen its hold on the country. The key will be helping beyond just security force assistance and conventional economic development aid; Mali needs help governing.

Jan 23, 2017
Commentary

Mali's Persistent Jihadist Problem

The 2013 French intervention in Mali averted an al Qaeda-backed thrust toward the capital of Bamako and reduced the threat from other jihadist groups. To ensure that a new threat does not materialize, France will need staying power and support from its allies.

Jan 12, 2017
Commentary

Emergencies: France, Mali, and Turkey Are Playing with Fire

The leaders of France, Mali, and Turkey have declared formal states of emergency. France's Hollande and Mali's Keïta, while responding to real threats, are risking democracy. Erdogan appears to be targeting democracy and using Turkey's recent failed coup as a pretext.

Aug 15, 2016
Commercial Book

The French War on Al Qa'ida in Africa

France's 2013 military intervention in Mali to stop Al Qa'ida from advancing was quick, effective, and relatively low cost. What France accomplished offers lessons for the fight against terrorist groups in Africa and worldwide.

Dec 10, 2015
Commentary

The French Way of War

There is a French way of warfare that reflects the French military's lack of resources and its modest sense of what it can achieve. They specialize in carefully apportioned and usually small but lethal operations, often behind the scenes.

Nov 17, 2015
Commentary

How to Defeat a New Boko Haram in Mali

While there is a need for stepped up military and police efforts against the self-proclaimed Macina Liberation Front, Mali's policymakers and their international partners need to focus on countering revivalist Islam, ideally by promoting Mali's other Islamic traditions, while finding ways to calm the inter-communal competition.

Sep 8, 2015
Commentary

Family Planning Must Be Part of the Humanitarian Response in Africa's Conflict Zones

Worldwide, nearly 800 women die every day due to mostly preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. More than half of these deaths occur in fragile states torn by armed conflict and generalized violence.

Jul 1, 2015
Report

Achieving Peace in Northern Mali

What will it take to build durable peace in northern Mali? Successes and failures from past peace agreements can inform future efforts. There are also lessons to be gleaned from the stability of Niger, Mali's neighbor.

May 1, 2015
Commentary

Help Malians Fight Back

The March 7 terrorist attack that killed five people in a nightclub in Bamako, Mali, underscores the importance of international support for the West African country, which has become another front in the struggle against Islamist radicalism.

Mar 13, 2015
Commentary

Mali's Peace Accord Offers Little More Than an Opportunity

The good news is that Mali's latest attempt at peace presents a real opportunity. The bad news is that all the reasons that previous agreements failed are still present.

Mar 11, 2015
Report

What Can the U.S. Army Learn from France's War in Mali?

French Army operations in Mali provide an example of how a technologically sophisticated army organizes and fields an expeditionary force. While the French way of war may not be optimal for U.S. commanders, who have greater resources at their disposal, the Army should still examine it for useful insights.

Oct 17, 2014
Commentary

Does France Have the Master Plan to Defeat ISIS?

In Mali, France stopped jihadists from taking over, ejected them from the country almost entirely, and struck a major blow to their ability to threaten France and the region. This success story provides important lessons for the U.S. debate about how to deal with ISIS.

Sep 24, 2014
Commentary

France Gets Tougher on Terrorism

The launch of Barkhane, a new military operation by France, signals a change. Rather than simply reacting to an emergency as it did in Mali, France is committing to a long-term counterterrorism campaign, a much greater and more public commitment. This is welcome news for the U.S.

Jul 29, 2014

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