Det enorme land i Sahel-regionen syd for Sahara må bringe sit demokrati vel i hus og skaffe orden på sin hær – og tuareg-folkets ønsker om med- eller selvbestemmelse bør indgå i forhandlinger om forsoning, hedder det fra fire eksperter.
DAKAR, 12 February 2013 (IRIN): The French military offensive in Mali halted militant Islamists’ drive southwards and dislodged them (drev dem tilbage) from parts of the northern region, but the fight is far from over, and the poor West african country’s future unsure.
IRIN sought the views of four analysts on what the Bamako government’s strategy should be to reconcile (forsone) its people and restore security:
* Peter Pham (PP) of the Atlantic Council, a US-based think tank;
* Andy Morgan (AM), a writer and journalist specializing in West Africa and the Sahel;
* Abdoulaye Sall (AS) of the Cercle de Réflexion et d’Information pour la Consolidation de la Démocratie au Mali (Centre for Reflection and Information to Consolidate Democracy in Mali); and
* Magnus Taylor (MT), editor of African Arguments, a political analysis website.
Q: What would the next steps be should Islamist fighters eventually be dislodged from northern Mali?
PP: What is happening and what we are seeing is the beginning of an insurgency of a sort. This was entirely foreseen.
In order to successfully manage the extremism and contain it in northern Mali and roll it back, there is need to invest time to develop a legitimate government in Bamako and an African-led force with Malian army that is capable of a counter-insurgency campaign.
AM: The focus should be on a very broad discussion with traditional elders, the political elite and all the stakeholders in the Malian society on how Mali should function in the future; the relationship between the different regions and cultures of the country. This should go alongside the process of reconciliation and justice.
AS: It is perhaps a little too early to talk of the next step given that the first one is not even over yet. The territorial integrity remains to be totally achieved.
However, the return of people forced to flee to neighbouring countries should be done professionally and should involve local leaders, traditional and religious leaders as well as civil society groups. The same should be done for the internally displaced people.
MT: There is a need to work out who is on which side now; what is the status of the Islamists who have been chased (jaget ud); calculate whether there is going to be an insurgency (oprør) now that there is a military intervention.
The Malian government needs to make an assessment of a policy towards the Tuareg – what sort of settlement to have in the north.
Q: Specifically, what should Mali, its neighbours and international supporters focus on to achieve long-term stability?
Læs videre på
http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97456/Hazards-and-options-for-Mali-s-future
