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Lomé (TOGO), September 2018
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
The role of the African Union in the
resolution
of the conflict in Mali
Master degree in Conflictology
Student : Akala Akizi-Egnim Counsellor :
Andreu Solà
Academic year : 2016 - 2018
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Contents
Table des matières
Contents ii
Appendices: figures iv
Abstract v
Introduction 1
1- Background of the study 1
1.1- Africa: a continent of conflicts and political crisis 1
1.2- In search of effective solutions 1
1.3- Persisting nature of conflicts and the eruption of Mali
crisis 3
2- Research questions 3
3- Rationale 3
4- Objectives 4
4.1- General objective 4
4.2- Specific objectives 4
5- Sphere of application and target group 4
6- Structure 4
Chapter 1: THEORETICAL, METHODOLOGICAL AND CONTEXTUAL FRAMEWORKS
6
1- Theoretical framework 6
1.1- Definition of concepts 6
1.2- Theories of intrastate conflicts 7
1.3- The African Union and the conflict intervention framework.
12
1.4- Literature review 18
2- Methodological framework 24
3- The contextual framework: Description of the study area 25
3.1- Geography 25
3.2- History 26
3.3- Demographics 27
3.4- Political sphere 28
3.5- Economy 28
Chapter 2: THE ARMED CONFLICT IN MALI 30
1- An overview of the conflict 30
2- Humanitarian impact of the conflict 33
3- The causes of the conflict 33
3.1- Structural causes 34
3.2- Proximate causes or triggers of the conflict 40
4- The actors of the armed conflict 42
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4.1- The national warring actors and their interests 42
4.2- Relations between armed groups: interactions and coalitions
45
4.2- International Organizations and Governments' intervention
47
Chapter 3: AFRICAN UNION INTERVENTION: Strengths and challenges
49
1- The intervention process 49
1.1- Overview of diplomatic and political efforts 49
1.1.1- Early warnings 49
1.1.2- The Framework Agreement with CNRDRE, April 2012 50
1.1.3- The Ouagadougou Peace Processes and Agreement, December
2012; June 2013 51
1.1.4- Post military intervention mediation 51
1.1.5- From Ouagadougou to Algiers: the Inter-Malian Inclusive
Peace Talks, 2014-2015 52
1.2- The Military efforts 53
1.2.1- From the idea of MICEMA to the establishment and
Evolution of AFISMA 53
1.3- Some post-conflict Reconstruction and Development
initiatives 55
2- Difficulties and challenges met by the AU in the intervention
56
2.1- The limitations of African Peace and Security Architecture
56
2.2- The lack or insufficiency of finance and logistics. 58
2.3- The lack of fair cooperation from UN and UN funders 59
2.4- The operational challenges of AFISMA in the field 59
3- Recommendations 60
3.1- Towards an efficient AU 60
3.2- For an effective and lasting peace in Mali 63
Conclusion 65
Bibliography 67
Annexes 70
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Appendices: figures
Figure 1: Summary of some key Timelines of the Mali Conflict
from 2011 to October 2015 71
Figure 2 : Map Mali climate 75
Figure 3: Map Mali spatial distribution of ethnic groups in
Mali 76
Figure 4: Map of Mali as of January 11, 2013 77
Figure 5: Map of Intensity of security incidents in Mali till
April 2016 78
Figure 6: Conflict events by actors and location in Mali and
Niger 2017-2018 79
Figure 7: Leadership of Mali peace agreement 80
Figure 8Implementatiuon of Bamako Agreement 81
Figure 9: Fragmentation and recomposition of compliant armed
groups 82
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Abstract
In the final decade of the 20th century, the mounting need for
greater continental integration resulted in the transformation of OAU in to AU
(African Union) in 2002. Among the priority agendas of the new organization are
issues of peace and security on the continent. Despite the commitment and
efforts to build institutional capacity to confront problems, objective
realities on the ground reflect that situations of political instabilities and
armed conflict in the continent are far from significantly resolved. The Malian
crisis which unfolded from 2012 is one of the examples of the limits of the new
organization in preventing and addressing effectively crisis.
The study identified the Malian crisis with issues of
political and economic marginalization, poor governance leading to ethnic
dissatisfaction and rebellions, and expressions of some form of religious
radicalism and criminal networks that involves actors respective to each of the
factors.
Moreover, the researcher has explored the intervention of the
AU and its RECs/RMs on the one hand, and on the other hand, portrayed the
challenges these regional organizations are facing in the maintenance of
continental Peace and Security in light of the Malian political crisis with
regard to their lack of capacity to conduct peace operations including
insufficient financial and logistic support, lack of cooperation and tensions
within the organizations and with the UN. Finally the researcher has suggested
some solutions for the way forward.
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