Democratic Governance Of Security In Mali

This book provides the historical and political context for the security interventions in Mali over the past three decades. The work contextualizes external military engagement (including that of the United States, France, the United Nations and G5 Sahel) within the broader framework of weak democratic consolidation, unmet development goals and increasing popular perceptions of widespread corruption in Mali. Over the past three decades, there have been four military coups in Mali: the military coup in 1991 launched the Third Republic; the 2012 coup toppled elected President Tour; the 2020 coup overthrew the elected President Keita; and the coup within a coup that ousted transitional President Bah. Given the political context, how do multiple international interventions relate to insecurity and instability in the country? Drawing on the author's thirty years of research on Mali, this work examines the relationship between external intervention in the country, domestic actors, and decentralization policies. The book argues that external support has ignored the poor governance that is at the heart of the country's crises. This book will be of much interest to students of intervention and statebuilding, African politics and International Relations in general.

Experience shows that successful democratic transitions need to be underpinned by a security sector that is effective, well managed, and accountable to the state and its citizens. This is why it is so important to carefully examine security sector governance dynamics in contexts where security has often remained a 'reserved domain.' Understanding the issues and perspectives that divide political elites, the security sector, and citizens is the only way to develop security sector reform programs that are legitimate and sustainable at the national level. Through drawing on the close contextual knowledge of practitioners, researchers, and diverse local actors, this book supports this goal by analyzing security sector governance dynamics in each of the nine Francophone countries within West Africa. From this basis, strengths and weaknesses are analyzed, local capacities evaluated, and entry points identified to promote democratic security sector governance in the West African region. (Series: Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces [DCAF])

This publication offers an account of the unfolding of political and civilian conflict in Mali and the efforts to contain it, and an analysis of which efforts to restore peace were effective and why. It also examines the role of the international community, especially the United Nations, in helping the Malian Government to restore peace and to re-integrate its disaffected populations and refugees back into civilian life.--Publisher's description.

Mali, a country rich with history and culture, but one of the poorest in the world, emerged in the 1990s as one of Africa's most vibrant democracies. Strengthened by bold political and economic reforms at home, Mali has emerged as a leader in African peace keeping efforts. How has such a transition taken place? How have these changes built on Mali's rich heritage? These are the questions that the contributors to this volume have addressed. During the past twenty-five years, the scholarly research and applied development work of Michigan State University faculty and students in Mali represents the most significant combined, long-term, and continuing contribution of any group of university faculty in the United States or Europe to the study of Malian society, economy, and politics. The applied nature of much of this work has resulted in a significant number of working papers, reports, and conference presentations. This volume represents a coherent and connected set of essays from one American university with a widely known and highly respected role in African development. While the essays identify and review Mali's unique historical and contemporary path to democracy and development, they also contribute to the advancement of theoretical knowledge about African development.

"The present book addresses the prospects for security sector reform and governance regimes, focusing on democratic civilian control of armed forces. The geographic area of interest goes beyond that of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), i.e. outside the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian areas. It assesses the extent to which the pioneering OSCE experience has inspired Africa and the Americas - in terms of norms, principles and procedures - within their respective multilateral institutional settings." --Book Jacket.

Many efforts have been undertaken to address dysfunctional security sector governance in West Africa. However, security sector reform (SSR) has fallen short of radical – transformational – change to the fundamental structures of power and governance in the region. Looking more closely at specific examples of SSR in six West African countries, Learning from West African Experiences in Security Sector Governance explores both progress and reversals in efforts by national stakeholders and their international partners to positively influence security sector governance dynamics. Written by eminent national experts based on their personal experiences of these reform contexts, this study offers new insights and practical lessons that should inform processes to improve democratic security sector governance in West Africa and beyond.