As violence and conflict continues in Mali, local peace builders focus on engaging minority voices to push for peace in the region. It is crucial for the U.S. to play a more constructive role in mitigating the violence.
The current situation in Mali is one where food insecurity, malnutrition, lack of education and safe water, coupled with violence and conflict, are part of everyday life for close to 4 million people. It is more important than ever for the U.S. government to support efforts to engage with local populations, specifically supporting women, to transform the violence that is exacerbating the lack of food, water and education in Mali.
In 2012, the military succeeded in overthrowing President Amadou Toumani Touré in a coup. After the coup, the military entered into an agreement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that led to handing over power to the parliament speaker, Dioncounda Traoré, as interim president. Since the coup, different actors have been vying for power including various armed groups as well as the Malian military and government. Violence by and between these groups has left hundreds of people dead, and displaced hundreds of thousands. Outside actors including the U.S. and French forceshave also been involved.
The U.S. military is focused on helping the local forces develop the ability to combat security threats in their region. In 2017, the U.S. provided \$1.4 million in military and police aid. This is part of a broader effort to combat violent extremist groups, such as Boko Haram, that are gaining ground in parts of western Africa. But, combating violence with more violence from outside military forces that the local population does not trust, is not going to stem the conflict or build peace.
Instead, funding for peacebuilding is needed to help counter violence that exacerbates the problems for local communities. This is not to say that the U.S. does not provide funding for peacebuilding in Mali. For the fiscal year 2017, Mali received \$1.187 million from the U.S. to support democracy, human rights, governance, and peace and security. However, cuts are expected in the 2018 budget, which represents a move in the absolute wrong direction.
Funding peacebuilding is crucial to reducing violence as well as assisting with the basic needs of the Malian population; two thirds of whom are under the age of 24. Youth are particularly vulnerable to recruitment into armed groups according to a study by Mercy Corps. Lack of government presence and endemic corruption in some areas mean that communities end up trusting armed groups more than the government.
Recognizing that more armed actors are not a solution to deescalating the crisis, civil society groups are using peacebuilding strategies, like engaging local women to participate in local government and become more educated to help mitigate violence.
One way this is being done is by engaging with women at the community level to support their participation in government and peace processes. A Mercy Corps program, for example, has encouraged women to run for local office, and to be an active voice in the community for peace. As a result of this effort, 30 women ran in their local elections, and 13 won a seat.
The U.S. government should increase its support for these types of peacebuilding activities because they are less costly than military engagement, help prevent conflict from happening in the first place, and are more effective in the long term. The U.S. government, by supporting women peacebuilders to run for office, can help to foster dialogue and push the local and national governments to be more responsive to community needs.
Supporting women and decreasing the number of youth being recruited to armed groups, can also lead to broader social reforms as women gain power to stand up for peace and more youth feel like their government represents them. When communities begin to trust their government again, and see their leaders as providers of services instead of a source of corruption, this can help to limit support for armed groups and prevent violence from spiraling out of control. The American people need to hold our government responsible and demand that the U.S. play a more constructive role in Mali by fully supporting peacebuilding processes.
