Since last March’s coup and rebel takeover of the north, Mali is yet to know unity and stability.

Mali is in the grip of an unprecedented political crisis since independence from France in 1960.

Political

Political uncertainty persists with wounded interim Head of State, Dioncounda Traore still receiving treatment in France after being assaulted by civilians in May. The political class is deeply divided between pro- and anti-junta supporters; though the military is officially out of power. ECOWAS mediation talks have so far not brought lasting peace to the country.

Another round of talks in the Burkina Faso capital, Ouagadougou, over the weekend was neither attended by interim President Dioncounda Traore nor representatives of the former junta. Rising from the summit, West African leaders gave the authorities in Bamako up to the end of this month to form a government of national unity or be suspended from the sub-regional bloc. The country appears to be at a standstill with Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra not making any noticeable progress. To further heighten tensions, ECOWAS recently cancelled former junta leader, Captain Amadou Sanogo’s pension as ex Head of State.

Economic

Already among the world’s poorest countries, the crisis in Mali is set to impoverish the country further. Just like in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Côte d'Ivoire, warlords are expected to take advantage of the situation to indulge in trafficking and perpetuate the crisis.

Military

The March 21, 2012 coup by Captain Amadou Sanogo and the rebels’ overrunning of the north has left the ill-equipped national army in tatters. It is deeply divided at all levels: senior officers, officers, Non-commissioned Officers and between corps. Ansar Dine and Mujao rebels now control all three of the north's main cities - Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal. Ansar Dine says it wants to remain part of Mali but wants to introduce Sharia across the whole country that is largely Moslem.

The potent mix of poverty, religion and ethnicity across the Sahel region makes even the threat of military intervention dangerous. ECOWAS leaders want to send troops into the north but it would be a suicide mission, with the opponents holding too great an advantage. They know the desert better than almost anyone, and likely possess better weaponry as well. Rebels now have at their disposal three international class airports - Gao, Tessalit and Timbuktu - able to accommodate large aircraft and transport all kinds of merchandise; including drugs, weapons and foreign militants.

Cultural

Mausoleums of Sidi Mahmoud, Sidi Moctar and Alpha Moya in the ancient city of Timbuktu have been smashed by Ansar Dine militants; thereby destroying the area’s tourism industry and golden age that stretches to the Fifth Century of the Hegira. The militants say they are against idol worship.

Humanitarian

The crisis in Mali is also a humanitarian tragedy with 320,000 people affected, including more than 180,000 refugees in neighbouring countries. This tragedy will expand as a result of the region’s precarious economic situation.