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| Mali's new president faces tough test as he strives for reconciliation | Mali's new president faces tough test as he strives for reconciliation |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Mali's new president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, who is to be inaugurated on Thursday, has made much of the notion of national reconciliation in his ascent to power. In the remote desert city of Gao, however, reconciliation is not an idea that comes easily. | Mali's new president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, who is to be inaugurated on Thursday, has made much of the notion of national reconciliation in his ascent to power. In the remote desert city of Gao, however, reconciliation is not an idea that comes easily. |
| This was a town that was subjected to harsh sharia law during a six-month spell under the sway of Tuareg separatists and the Mujao, jihadists linked to al-Qaida. Even now, nine months after it was liberated, the town hall and banks lie gutted. Hospitals were looted and non-governmental organisation offices ransacked as the insurgents declared Gao the capital of Azawad, or northern Mali. Many buildings are pockmarked from heavy weapons fire. Suspicion and antagonism will take time to dissipate. | |
| "Now there's peace, they are coming back and we know who they are," said Amadou Sarr, a leader of the Patrouilleurs de Gao, a group of young men who orchestrated a campaign of unarmed resistance to the jihadis. | "Now there's peace, they are coming back and we know who they are," said Amadou Sarr, a leader of the Patrouilleurs de Gao, a group of young men who orchestrated a campaign of unarmed resistance to the jihadis. |
| "We have denounced them to the police, but the police say they need evidence, such as pictures, but imagine taking pictures when they were jihadis, they would have cut your throat. We took four known jihadis to the police station but the police released them because of a lack of evidence." | |
| The patrouilleurs saw it as their duty to stay and protect their families after seeing what had happened in Timbuktu, where there was no organised resistance. The group got its name by forming patrols that roamed the streets to provide some semblance of protection for the population. | The patrouilleurs saw it as their duty to stay and protect their families after seeing what had happened in Timbuktu, where there was no organised resistance. The group got its name by forming patrols that roamed the streets to provide some semblance of protection for the population. |
| Now the tension between these groups and those who supported the rebels is mounting. | |
| The Mujao recruited many youths from local communities in the Gao region, especially from villages that had embraced Islamism long before the hostilities, according to the International Crisis Group. | The Mujao recruited many youths from local communities in the Gao region, especially from villages that had embraced Islamism long before the hostilities, according to the International Crisis Group. |
| The patrouillers are keeping watch on who is coming back to town and the surrounding villages. They are unarmed and resolutely reject the idea that they are militias. But they feel resentful at the lack of recognition from Bamako, the capital 750 miles away, at the role they played in leading the resistance. | The patrouillers are keeping watch on who is coming back to town and the surrounding villages. They are unarmed and resolutely reject the idea that they are militias. But they feel resentful at the lack of recognition from Bamako, the capital 750 miles away, at the role they played in leading the resistance. |
| They are demanding a seat at the negotiating table and are unhappy that while the government is willing to talk to the MNLA, they have not been included in any dialogue aimed at settling longstanding Tuareg grievances, although many northerners in general share a sense of neglect by Bamako. | They are demanding a seat at the negotiating table and are unhappy that while the government is willing to talk to the MNLA, they have not been included in any dialogue aimed at settling longstanding Tuareg grievances, although many northerners in general share a sense of neglect by Bamako. |
| How IBK, as the new president is known, handles the vexed problem of reconciliation could be crucial to the success of his presidency. The reconciliation process, which began before IBK won in a runoff with 78% of the vote, has been less than convincing so far. There is a commission for dialogue and reconciliation, but it has hardly met and seems irrelevant after IBK appointed a minister for reconciliation, Cheick Ouamar Diarrah. | How IBK, as the new president is known, handles the vexed problem of reconciliation could be crucial to the success of his presidency. The reconciliation process, which began before IBK won in a runoff with 78% of the vote, has been less than convincing so far. There is a commission for dialogue and reconciliation, but it has hardly met and seems irrelevant after IBK appointed a minister for reconciliation, Cheick Ouamar Diarrah. |
| "There are 33 people on the commission, it is too many, we have no office, no logistical support, there is a lot of confusion," said Makan Kone, one of the commissioners and editor-in-chief of the Nouvelle Libération in Bamako. "It was only announced to satisfy the international community." | "There are 33 people on the commission, it is too many, we have no office, no logistical support, there is a lot of confusion," said Makan Kone, one of the commissioners and editor-in-chief of the Nouvelle Libération in Bamako. "It was only announced to satisfy the international community." |
| It may be a harsh verdict but it is nevertheless accepted that Mali had to go through the motions, including a presidential election that was considered too early by some, in order to unlock £3bn in foreign aid. | It may be a harsh verdict but it is nevertheless accepted that Mali had to go through the motions, including a presidential election that was considered too early by some, in order to unlock £3bn in foreign aid. |
| As well as causing a breakdown in trust between the north and the capital, and between communities in the north, caused by the occupation, the conflict has been economically disastrous. | As well as causing a breakdown in trust between the north and the capital, and between communities in the north, caused by the occupation, the conflict has been economically disastrous. |
| Little or no rice plantingtook place because people were scared to go into the fields, animals have died because they were not taken out to pasture and there are fears of mounting food shortages. | Little or no rice plantingtook place because people were scared to go into the fields, animals have died because they were not taken out to pasture and there are fears of mounting food shortages. |
| Economic activity has seized up because the city depends heavily on consumption by local public servants, who fled during the crisis. The banks in Gao reopened just two weeks ago. Regular work to maintain the dykes so fields are not flooded by the Niger river ground to a halt during the crisis. Supplies from Algeria have slowed to a trickle because of the continuing instability of the neighbouring region of Kidal, which remains a Tuareg stronghold. | Economic activity has seized up because the city depends heavily on consumption by local public servants, who fled during the crisis. The banks in Gao reopened just two weeks ago. Regular work to maintain the dykes so fields are not flooded by the Niger river ground to a halt during the crisis. Supplies from Algeria have slowed to a trickle because of the continuing instability of the neighbouring region of Kidal, which remains a Tuareg stronghold. |
| In the scruffy Washington market in Gao, business was slow. Halimatou, who has a stall selling plastic sandals and sneakers, complained about the lack of customers and worried about getting enough food for her six children. Some traders were doing better. | In the scruffy Washington market in Gao, business was slow. Halimatou, who has a stall selling plastic sandals and sneakers, complained about the lack of customers and worried about getting enough food for her six children. Some traders were doing better. |
| Abramane was making adjustments to a pair of military trousers with his sewing machine. | Abramane was making adjustments to a pair of military trousers with his sewing machine. |
| "I've been keeping busy. Soldiers always need to have their clothes adjusted as what they are given are either too small or too big," he said. | "I've been keeping busy. Soldiers always need to have their clothes adjusted as what they are given are either too small or too big," he said. |
| But he is one of the lucky ones. Just as the town bears visible scars of the recent conflict, so it is hard to escape the extreme poverty. Gao's poorest live in domes made from straw matting that dot the city. | But he is one of the lucky ones. Just as the town bears visible scars of the recent conflict, so it is hard to escape the extreme poverty. Gao's poorest live in domes made from straw matting that dot the city. |
| Mali is among the world's poorest countries and the north is highly deprived. | Mali is among the world's poorest countries and the north is highly deprived. |
| The region is likely to be a big headache for IBK, who is to be sworn in at an inauguration to be attended by François Hollande, the French president. But it has ever been thus since Mali became independent of France in the 1960s. As IBK seeks to satisfy both the MNLA and constituencies such as the patrouillers, some say the authorities have to distinguish between those who joined the MNLA or Mujao out of economic opportunism – recruits were paid – and the real hard men. | The region is likely to be a big headache for IBK, who is to be sworn in at an inauguration to be attended by François Hollande, the French president. But it has ever been thus since Mali became independent of France in the 1960s. As IBK seeks to satisfy both the MNLA and constituencies such as the patrouillers, some say the authorities have to distinguish between those who joined the MNLA or Mujao out of economic opportunism – recruits were paid – and the real hard men. |
| "I believe in reconciliation, we are obliged to live together," said About Ag Assabit, head of local NGO Tassaght, whose office was sacked by the rebels, "but for real reconciliation, we need to punish the hardliners and as long as we don't, they will have a sense of impunity." | "I believe in reconciliation, we are obliged to live together," said About Ag Assabit, head of local NGO Tassaght, whose office was sacked by the rebels, "but for real reconciliation, we need to punish the hardliners and as long as we don't, they will have a sense of impunity." |
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