The increasing strength of jihadist groups in the years after 2000, the Tuareg rebellion begun in Mali in 2012 and the growing tensions between and within communities in recent years are key factors behind the growing importance of the security situation in the Sahel-Sahara region to the international political agenda. With this starting point, the presentation will try to describe the dynamic relationships between the different armed groups in the most recent Malian conflict, in order to explain the challenges they pose for the stabilization of the region. It will endeavour to put in perspective the objectives, strategies, relative strengths and self-images of the different groups present, in particular within the broader Tuareg community, in order to suggest possible future directions for Mali and for the broader region.
