Resolving the Tuareg Question. Internationalizing the Implementation of Peace Agreements in Mali

The chapter examines the origins of the armed conflict in Mali with a special focus on the key actors involved and on their different interests and agendas. Without underestimating the threat posed by some jihadi groups in the north, this essay argues that the main challenge to Mali’s political stability and long-term security lies in the resolution of the Tuareg question. Actually, available evidence suggests that during the last decade, as in other cases like Syria and Iraq, Islamist organizations have exploited political resentment among Tuareg communities in order to pursue their own political agendas.