Sydney Gray Post #2 Mali: A Country of Economic Hardship

 

    Nationalism is described as a ‘patriotic feeling’. It is expressive pride in one’s nation, identification with one’s nation, and support for the nation’s interests. Nationalism, however, can result in the exclusion of minorities because it gives more importance to unity by way of a cultural background (slide 10). For nationalism to exist, common interests and characteristics must also exist. Mali has a population of over 19 million people, including 13 national languages and dozens of different ethnic groups (The World Factbook, 2018). It is easy to assume that there is a large variety of interests and characteristics within this country, which may cause problems. Zakaria mentions in The Post American World, that unifying divergent ideas and interests are a difficult task. He wrote that “the world is moving from anger to indifference” and “it raises the political conundrum of how to achieve international objectives in a world of many actors, state and nonstate” (pg.39). 

    This issue is seen in Mali’s struggle to maintain governmental stability. “A coup in 2012, ensuing military intervention in the north, and regular uprisings by rebel and extremist groups throughout the country have left the nation of about 19 million people vulnerable” (Reid, Kathryn, 2020). Conflict in Mali continues as violence between armed groups and state forces are rampant. After 8 years from the initial rebellion, attacks and ethnic killings are routine, with large swaths of the country still outside of government control (Al Jazeera, 2020). Mali’s president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, was recently forced to resign due to mass protests, alleged corruption and worsening security. Economic hardship in Mali is long-term and nationwide (Peace Direct, 2020). With the absence of effective state authority, poverty, religious militancy, and conflicts over resources, this divided nation is finding it almost impossible to maintain peace and security. These conflicts illustrate the danger in the rise of nationalism that Zakaria warns us of.

    Mali is listed as the 12^th poorest country in Africa and has remained poverty-stricken for many years, with malnutrition issues, lack of education and conflict being the main causes. T Borgen Project states that the average wage in Mali is $1.25 per day, resulting in more than half of their population living below the international poverty line and the average life expectancy only being 55. Reducing poverty and inequality is something Mali continues to struggle with. The GINI index in Mali was reported at 32.3% in 2018, increasing by 2.22% from the previous year (Knoema). The Borgen Project explains that Mali is mostly self-sufficient in the food market but face many issues involving its climate and landscape, with reoccurring droughts being a critical issue. The difficulties with poverty and inequality is a result of poor education facilities across the country. School enrollment is currently at 67% and the adult literacy rate is only 38.7%, which is one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. These issues are affecting over half a million families, causing Malians to flee to neighboring countries in hopes to find shelter and support. Inequality in Mali is causing reoccurring conflicts across the country resulting in violence, protests, drastic political changes, and worsening security.

As previously mentioned, Mali consists of 19 million people, 13 different languages, and dozens of different ethnic groups. Mali is home to a variety of minority groups including ethnic, regional, language, political, and religious minorities. While the country is full of issues and conflicts, ethnic rivalries are surprisingly not as common as others. The various groups have been known to respect each other, often with compliments. Although the country is known for their severe droughts, diverse farming groups such as Bambara, Malinke, Songhai, and Dogon tend to stay away from competing against one another. Religion in Mali also stays on the more peaceful side, with the followers of one religion being able to freely attend ceremonies of other. However, the Minority Rights Group reported that “the perception of political and economic exclusion has coincided with the geographic distribution of ethnicities to fuel resentment between ethnic groups, which has surfaced in episodes of conflict”. This is mainly where we see conflict in Mali regarding minorities and different ethnic groups. 

Mali is a country of economic hardship. Decades of conflicts have cultivated a very rebellious and divided nation full of violence, poverty, government protesting, and extremely poor education. Mali needs to address these reoccurring issues in order to fix what has been broken for a long time. 

References

Al Jazeera. “Mali's Deepening Crisis: Key Questions Answered.” Mali News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 25 June 2020, www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/mali-deepening-crisis-key-questions-answered-200625184413160.html.

“Mali GINI Index, 2017-2019.” Knoema, knoema.com/atlas/Mali/topics/Poverty/Income-Inequality/GINI-index. 

“Mali.” Minority Rights Group, 2018, minorityrights.org/country/mali/. 

“Mali.” Peace Direct, 2020, www.peacedirect.org/us/mali/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhvf6BRCkARIsAGl1GGhpDnEqzuJHUNapakH92MGZOKEU70RLQcHXHL8GHHBvckcIHpEzP7kaAumdEALw_wcB.

Project, Borgen. “Poverty in Mali: Malnutrition Issues and Lack of Education.” The Borgen Project, Borgen Project Https://Borgenproject.org/Wp-Content/Uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.Jpg, 28 May 2020, borgenproject.org/poverty-in-mali/. 

Reid, Kathryn. “Mali Conflict Explained: Facts, FAQs, and How to Help.” World Vision, 19 Aug. 2020, www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/mali-conflict-facts.

“The World Factbook: Mali.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/print_ml.html.