Armed Rebellion, Violent Extremism, and the Challenges of International Intervention in Mali

The French-led military intervention and the UN peacekeeping mission in northern Mali have helped preserve Mali’s territorial integrity. However, international interventions have had mixed outcomes in the areas of security, human rights, and humanitarian assistance. Similarly, there has not been much success in eradicating jihadist terrorism or in reconciling the country’s North and South. This article argues that the limited achievements of the international interventions in Mali’s complex conflict are largely due to the incompatible agendas and assumptions of the stakeholders, which have led to greater focus of international actors on state-centric security and governance matters at the expense of identity issues.