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OE Watch Commentary: Personal security has deteriorated in large parts of the north and central regions of Mali. These parts of the country have been engaged in an insurgency war which has lasted for a number of years. Organized crime and trafficking has become more common, much of it introduced by the insurgent groups controlling large swaths of Malian territory. That makes sense – based on statistical evidence from other global hotspots, where the rule of law breaks down and the central government struggles to control territory. The first source, in addition to providing an update on Malian military personnel killedin-action during a recent one-week period, makes reference to the lack of police and civil protection in the Gao region, particularly in Menaka. This suggests that part of the problem may be the state of the police forces guaranteeing personal security within the country.
The second source, written two years ago, addresses this very question. It suggested then that the condition of the police and domestic security forces in Mali were, and continue to be, partially to blame for what is becoming a general lack of personal security across the country, including the capital and southern regions, with armed robbery being the most frequent crime. The second article also suggested that if armed robbery and other crimes cannot be stopped across the entire country, it would not only threaten the local population, but also threaten international aid work, on which significant segments of the population of Mali depend.
It is not easy to gather crime statistics from the numerous cities, towns, and villages, even in the relatively peaceful south. Consider Ouelessabougou (population roughly 50,000), about two hours drive south of the capital. Ouelessabougou has no local written news outlets and only three local radio stations. A number of Western charities also operate in and around Ouelessabougou. While the dire prediction given two years ago in the second source has not come to pass, NGOs based in Ouelessabougou have been advised to enhance security infrastructure and planning.
While Bamako and the southern part of the country have been largely exempt thus far from the war in the north, there is continued pressure to ensure domestic security in this part of the country. This may be hard to do given everything else the semi-stable Malian government is dealing with, particularly fending off enemies of the state to the north and east of the country. End OE Watch Commentary (Billingsley)