MALI’S WOMEN MEDIATORS SHAPE LOCAL TALKS WITH TERRORISTS

In central Mali, local communities have entered into peace agreements with terrorist groups to regain a sense of calm. Residents in the area have been grappling with a vicious cycle of violence linked to the armed insurgency since 2015. The agreements generally result from negotiations between community leaders and representatives of the local branch of Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wal-Muslimeen – one of the most influential radical groups affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Sahel. The use of dialogue contrasts starkly with the predominantly military responses used by successive Malian governments.