Tuareg separatism in Mali 1

Abstract

This article provides a contextualized overview of Tuareg separatism and the violence that has attended it in Mali. The article sketches key episodes and developments in the conflict between the Malian state and Tuareg separatist nationalists, and outlines Tuareg political goals and internal dynamics. The article examines the impact on Tuareg separatism of the presence of international Jihadi-Salafist movements in the region and the resulting intrusion of the so-called “War on Terror” (Overseas Contingency Operations) during the past decade.