Mali - West Africa - page 533

Touré established an interim transitional government and gained considerable respect
when he resigned a year later, keeping his promise to hold multiparty elections. But he
was rewarded for his patience and elected president in April 2002.
The Tuareg rebellion gained ground in 2007 and was bolstered in 2011 and 2012 by an
influx of weapons and unemployed fighters following the Libyan civil war. Islamist fight-
ers, including those linked to Al Qaeda, gained footing in the northeast soon after, ousting
the main Mouvement pour le Liberation d'Azawad (MNLA) Tuareg group and forcing
400,000 civilians to flee the region after harsh sharia law was imposed and ancient monu-
ments destroyed. A transitional government, headed by Dioncounda Traore, was installed,
but deemed too weak to handle the crisis alone. French forces and later ECOWAS troops
launched air and ground offensives in an attempt to push back the Islamists in January
2013.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Arts & Culture
For the majority of Malians, life continues as usual, although the impact of the conflict
weighs heavily on their minds. For those who eke out a living working in shops or busi-
nesses, the emphasis is on earning enough to take care of their (large) families on a day-
to-day basis. But many have placed long-term plans on hold, as they simply can't predict
what the future will bring.
In the northeast of the country, life has changed drastically. The imposition of sharia
law has meant that many bars and restaurants have been closed. The majority of Malians
are Muslim, but the strain of Islam that is followed is moderate and liberal - many enjoy
dancing, drinking and being social butterflies. Now women must cover their heads,
couples are stoned to death for having sex outside of marriage and live music is banned.
For those who have not fled from the towns of Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu, life has become
fairly miserable. For those in refugee camps in neighbouring countries, it's worse still.
Malians hold fast to tradition and politeness is respected. Malians find it rude to ask
questions or stop someone in the street without first asking after their health and their
families.
AND THE BANDS PLAYED ON
The backdrop of the events of 2012 shook artists and musicians as well as politicians, interrupting album record-
ings and forcing Tuareg musicians to leave the country. The famous ngoni player Bassekou Kouyate, who also