The Limits of Democracy and the Postcolonial Nation State: Mali's Democratic Experiment Falters, while Jihad and Terrorism Grow in the Sahara (Summary and Final Chapter)

The Limits of Democracy and the Postcolonial Nation State: Mali's Democratic Experiment Falters, while Jihad and Terrorism Grow in the Sahara (2016)

7 Pages Posted: 29 Apr 2019

See all articles by Robin Poulton

Robin Poulton

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU); Virginia State University

Date Written: December 20, 2016

Abstract

The legitimacy of not just “democracy” but of the African State itself, is challenged by the crisis in Mali, The crisis provoked by the coup d’état of March 2012, led to the collapse of the democratic Malian state, a jihadist Al Qaida take-over of North Mali, and the return of the French Foreign Legion to the Sahara after 54 years of Malian Independence.

Why did the Malian State collapse in 2012? Were the various Tuareg "revolts" in North Mali a symptom of State failure, rather than its cause? What were the causes and sources of the jihadi take-over of North Mali in 2012, led by Algerian drug smugglers and Pakistani preachers? Why did the French intervene militarily in January 2013 and will they now stay? What chance has Mali of determining its own future, confronted by the power of international corporations: extractive corporations, criminal mafia corporations, and religious corporations?

With 12,000 UN peacekeepers (MINUSMA) and the election of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2013, what now are the prospects for peace and democracy on Mali? What mechanisms exist within Malian society, that might build a sustainable peace economy? How can women mobilize family networks to promote peace and to create employment? Will their efforts avert another round of civil war in 2030?

Keywords: Failed States, Mali, Terrorism, Sahara, Sahel, Poverty, Civil Society, Coup D'éTat, Tuareg, Jihad, Migration, Saudi, Qatar, France, Algeria

JEL Classification: F50, F51, F52, F53, F54, F55

Suggested Citation

Poulton, Robin and Poulton, Robin, The Limits of Democracy and the Postcolonial Nation State: Mali's Democratic Experiment Falters, while Jihad and Terrorism Grow in the Sahara (Summary and Final Chapter) (December 20, 2016). The Limits of Democracy and the Postcolonial Nation State: Mali's Democratic Experiment Falters, while Jihad and Terrorism Grow in the Sahara (2016), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3357150 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3357150

Robin Poulton (Contact Author)

Virginia State University ( email )

Petersburg, VA 23806
United States

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) ( email )

1015 Floyd Avenue
Richmond, VA 23284
United States

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