Rebuilding Participatory and Inclusive Governance in Mali: How West Africa Responds to Crises

Mali is facing several interrelated crises caused or exacerbated by the March 2012 coup that overthrew the democratically elected government. Tuareg separatists and Islamic extremists fight for control of the north of the country causing the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Malians. Furthermore, donors have reduced critical foreign aid, and the country lacks a legitimate, inclusive government. International actors, including the United States, United Nations (UN), France, and the African Union (AU), are attempting to determine how to best proceed to resolve the crisis. This project sought to provide policy guidance for resolving the Malian crisis by drawing lessons from how the international community has previously responded to crises in West Africa. The final report uses case studies of crises in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Niger to analyze the factors of governance, economics, security, and international response that exacerbated or resolved the conflicts in these countries. Following the analysis of these case studies, the report evaluates the applicability of the lessons learned with respect to the Mali crisis. What follows are the policy recommendations based upon the synthesized analysis of the case studies and the crisis in Mali. The student intended the recommendations to guide actors involved in seeking to resolve the crisis in Mali.