Report

Mali: Avoiding Escalation

“This report is published at a time of evident polarisation in the positions held by the multiple actors in this crisis and it is proving increasingly difficult for the most moderate to make their voices heard. It provides a detailed account of the causes of the decline and implosion of the Malian state, maps the strategies and methods of the actors concerned and assesses the influence of external forces on recent Malian political events. Without underestimating the extreme danger of some armed groups in the north to the country and also to the region, it outlines how a solution might be sought to the Malian conflict that would avoid a military escalation of the crisis, prevent a long-term war and stop the conflict from spreading to the surrounding area.”