What's behind the instability in Mali?
By Faith Karimi , CNN
January 14, 2013 -- Updated 1115 GMT (1915 HKT)
CNN.com
(CNN) -- International leaders are responding to an uprising of Islamist
militants in northern Mali, hoping to inject stability in a country once hailed
as a model for democracy in Africa.
Following a coup last year, militants destroyed ancient shrines, once a major
draw for Islamic scholars from around the world. They also banned music.
Reports of human rights abuses soared, including the public stoning death of a
couple accused of having an affair.
The U.N. Security Council last month authorized a peacekeeping mission. This
week, French troops joined the fight against militants in its former colony,
which was under a state of emergency Friday.
The urgency for international intervention came after Islamists seized Konna on
Thursday, a frontier town that was the de facto line of government control. A
day later, the government said it recaptured the town.
Mali gained independence from France in 1960. The landlocked West African
nation went through growing pains after independence, including droughts,
rebellions and years of military dictatorship.
It held its first democratic elections in 1992, and had a strong democracy for
the most part.
That was until March, when a group of soldiers toppled the government,
undermining the nation's growing economy and relative social stability.
What led to the coup?
A group of outraged soldiers accused the government of not providing adequate
equipment to battle ethnic Tuareg rebels roaming the vast desert in the north.
In March last year, a riot erupted at a military camp a few miles from the
presidential palace in the capital of Bamako. Disgruntled soldiers marched to
the palace.
A few hours later, a soldier appeared on state television and said the military
was in control of the nation. The president was nowhere to be found.
The Tuareg rebels took advantage of the power vacuum and seized some parts of
the north. They have always wanted independence, and have staged several
rebellions since the 1960s.
After Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was killed in 2011 and Libya was plunged
into chaos, his weapons became available. The Tuareg -- many of whom fought for
him -- seized them and took up arms against the Malian government.
How did the north end up in the hands of Islamist militants?
After Tuareg rebels seized it, a power struggle erupted with local Islamist
radicals. The Islamist extremists toppled the tribe and seized control of
two-thirds of northern Mali, an area the size of France.
Mali in spotlight after military coup
Africa group OKs new troops for Mali
Al Qaeda's new breeding ground: Mali
Various factions of al Qaeda-linked militants are reportedly in the area,
including Ansar Dine.
The international community has voiced concerns about al Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb and its expanding presence in Mali.
U.S. officials have said that the wing, the al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, is
linked to the deadly Benghazi attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya
and three others.
The region needs a well-funded operation led by Africans to have a good chance
of pushing out the al Qaeda extremist movement growing in northern and western
Africa, according to Gen. Carter Ham, the top American military commander in
Africa.
Last month, the U.N. Security Council authorized a one-year military
peacekeeping mission in Mali. The African-led International Support Mission in
Mali aims to help rebuild the nation's forces and recover the areas in the
north.
Tuareg rebels have vowed to fight back against the Islamists. The Tuareg want
their own country in the north, which they call Azawad.
And as the world seeks a solution, Islamist militants are busy applying their
strict interpretation of sharia law.
What are some of the human rights concerns in Mali?
Islamists controlling most of the north have imposed a stricter form of Islamic
law, or sharia.
"We don't have to answer to anyone over the application of sharia," Islamist
commissioner Aliou Toure said last year.
Locals are not receptive to the extreme interpretations; they practice a much
more relaxed form of Islam. Some have taken to the streets in protest.
As part of their new laws, radical groups banned music, a major setback for a
country known for "Festival au Desert," where acts like Robert Plant and Bono
have performed. They've also said no to smoking, drinking and watching sports
on television.
At least four times in 2012, the militants have destroyed Timbuktu's historic
tombs and shrines, claiming the relics are idolatrous. The picturesque city was
once an important destination for Islamic scholars for its ancient and
prominent burial sites.
Public executions, amputations, floggings and other inhumane punishments are
becoming common, the United Nations says.
CNN's Phil Gast and Mike Mount contributed to this report.
© 2013 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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