Mali: introdução a um relatório da Amnistia Internacional

Since the beginning of 2012, Mali has been faced with the worst crisis of its recent history, one that has questioned both the integrity of its territory as well as almost 20 years of political stability. A Tuareg rebellion, fueled by fighters arriving from Libya after the fall of Mouammar Gaddafi, launched attacks against the Malian garrisons in the North of the country in early January 2012. The armed groups also committed serious infringements of international humanitarian law by executing the soldiers they caught in combat. The Malian army responded by bombing indiscriminately the civilian population. Northern Mali has been weakened by several factors over the years, in particular: the disinvestment of the Malian state and the lack of development in this area which has caused much frustration; the development of all kinds of trafficking [drugs, trade of transnational migrants, weapons, vehicles, cigarettes]; and the presence of Al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb [AQIM] who transformed certain areas of the region into a safe haven where these groups hold hostages. ------ A mudança das situações vigentes no Senegal, na Guiné-Bissau e no Mali, nestes últimos meses, indicam que é necessário estar com muita atenção a tudo o que se passa desde a Mauritânia e a bacia do rio Senegal até ao Níger e às imediações do Lago Chade.