Mali Still Unstable After Defeating Mali Islamists

A French sniper carries his weapon at the Mali air force base near Bamako January 19, 2013. (Reuters)

After Crushing Mali Islamists, France Pushes Deal With Tuaregs -- Reuters

(Reuters) - After winning adulation across Mali for a five month military offensive that crushed al Qaeda fighters, France is now frustrating some of its allies by pushing for a political settlement with a separate group of Tuareg rebels.

A standoff over how to restore Malian government authority to Kidal, the last town in the desert north yet to be brought under central control, is sowing resentment with Paris and could delay planned elections to restore democracy after a coup.

Mali's army has moved troops towards Kidal, a stronghold of the MNLA Tuareg separatists, but missed a self-imposed deadline this week to retake the Saharan town. France, which has its own forces camped outside, does not want Malian troops to march on the town, fearing ethnic bloodshed if it is taken by force.

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More News On The Post-Conflict Situation In Mali

Talks to Resume With Mali Government, Tuaregs -- AP
France Seeks Tuareg Inclusion to Malian Government’s Chagrin -- Atlantic Sentinel
France accused of favouring Mali's Tuareg rebels -- Global Post/AFP
Mali leader says Tuareg rebels 'ready for talks' -- AFP
France to keep 1,000 troops in Mali indefinitely -- The Telegraph
US to train African troops in Niger for service in Mali -- Digital Journal
EU military chief ‘confident’ about Mali troop training -- Al Arabiya
A devastated Timbuktu faces threats as it strains to rebuild -- Seattle Times/Washington Post
Mali: The Tuareg Rebellion, Islamist Takeover, and French Intervention -- Hari Ravichandran, The Vector

Rebuilding Mali

Rebuilding Of Mali Faces Daunting Obstacles, Despite Outside Aid -- New York Times

DAKAR, Senegal — The outpouring of support may be more a sign of nervousness than altruism.

At an international conference in Brussels this week, donors pledged $4.2 billion for Mali on a range of fronts, including roads, energy and business development, hoping to help rebuild a nation that alarmed governments around the world when much of it collapsed and fell to Islamist militants last year.

Beyond the money, the United Nations plans to deploy 12,600 peacekeepers this summer to make sure the militants do not return, while a host of outside powers, with France and the United States in the lead, are keeping a watchful eye on preparations for elections the Malians have promised for July.

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More News On Mali

Mali Gets Billions in Pledges to Rebuild -- Wall Street Journal
Nations pledge billions to rebuild Mali -- AP
Donors Pledge $4.2 Billion for Mali -- Voice of America
International donors pledge $4.19B for Mali recovery plan -- Examiner
UN Envoy Says July Date for Mali Presidential Vote "Difficult" -- Wall Street Journal
Ban pledges UN commitment to stable, prosperous Mali in message to Brussels meeting -- UN News Centre
Extreme food shortages in northern Mali -- KUNA
U.S. instructors to train African troops for Mali in Niger -- Reuters
US Air Force flies 200th Mali air refuelling sortie -- Defence Web