PART TWO -

Since the July, 2012 Islamist takeover, there has been international pressure, particularly from France, to do something about Northern Mali. The preferred intervention method was supposedly composed of the Malian armed forces assisted by an African force led by ECOWAS (a regional economic group) supported by France with American logistical support. Meanwhile, there have been reports of Islamists from throughout Africa coming to Mali to fight.

I think that someone made the call that it would take too long for the ECOWAS plan to work. International law dictated that the US could not provide military assistance until there was a democratic gov't in Mali. Neighboring countries, especially Algeria & Mauritania, refused to participate in military action and opposed European or US involvement in the conflict. Meanwhile, members of the caretaker gov't, which was installed after the coup leaders stepped aside, were causing problems. The acting PM was threatening to run for elected office; something he had promised not to do. So, in December 2012, Captain Sanogo reappeared. His men beat up the recalcitrant PM, forcing him to flee to France.

While all this was happening Ansar Dine & MNLA were taking part in peace talks in Burkina Faso. In December, MNLA forces fought MUJWA in Menaka. They were massacred and pushed out of the city. The MNLA's spokesman claimed that they were induced to go on the offensive by the French and promised that they would have support from Ansar Dine - support that never materialized. Then, the MNLA was pushed out of Lere. Both Menaka & Lere are in Northern Mali, although they had remained under MNLA control. Last week, Ansar Dine withdrew from peace talks. There were reports that the Islamists were digging in near strategic locations in the North. Finally, this week, it appeared that the Islamists might move south of the de facto border between Mali & Northern Mali when they took Konna, a strategic town near the city of Mopti & a military base in Sevare.

The taking of Konna arguably set the stage for an Islamist takeover of the country. There were reports that the Malian army was collapsing, and that they might abandon Sevare and it's strategic bases en masse. The caretaker President of Mali asked for assistance and France intervened.

That's where we are...