SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
As Mali Forces Are Accused of Torture, US Pledges Increased Funding
US ties to Mali military coup, French invasion only grow stronger
Feb 19, 2013
Following recent allegations that the Mali army has been conducting widespread human rights violations in the nation's French-led and U.S.-backed conflict, the U.S. announced today that it will once again directly fund the country's military after a new round of elections.
In an interview with the Associated Press this week, Malian Foreign Minister Tieman Coulibaly said that the military-led government is investigating claims that their armed forces have targeted both Arab and Tuareg minority families in a hunt for rebels in the nation's increasingly complicated conflict.
Reports have surfaced that many have suffered torture, killings and reprisals over false accusations of aiding rebels.
While promising to investigate the allegations, Coulibably said, "it's hard" to conduct a thorough investigation of these particular claims, adding, "We can't, in the name of avoiding discrimination, let an Arab or Tuareg go just because he's Arab or Tuareg, if he is guilty."
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said Tuesday, "The first responsibility to avoid this kind of reprisal ... rests with the Malian authorities themselves."
U.S.-backed French forces invaded the country earlier this year, in accordance with the Mali military, in an attempt to violently wrest power in its former colony and current 'trade partner' from disparate political factions.
French forces have received continued aid from the U.S. for the operation as reports of widespread innocent civilian causalities--including children--have surfaced. Many commentators have shown that the conflict has quickly gone the way of quagmire with no sign of resolution in the near future.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported Monday that the U.S. is likely to resume direct support for Mali's military in addition to the French campaign, should new elections take place in the military coup controlled nation.
The U.S., which has been indirectly funding Mali's military objectives through aid to France's intervention, is technically prohibited from directly assisting Mali's armed forces due to its military coup last March. On a recent trip to Mali Senator Christopher Coons, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa, was asked by reporters if increased U.S. support for Mali's military could materialize. He responded, "After there is a full restoration of democracy, I would think it is likely that we will renew our direct support for the Malian military."
Before last year's coup in Mali--led by a U.S.-trained Malian army captain--the American military had been providing combat training to several Malian army battalions, Reuters reports.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. He is the author of Migrant Justice in the Age of Removal. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Following recent allegations that the Mali army has been conducting widespread human rights violations in the nation's French-led and U.S.-backed conflict, the U.S. announced today that it will once again directly fund the country's military after a new round of elections.
In an interview with the Associated Press this week, Malian Foreign Minister Tieman Coulibaly said that the military-led government is investigating claims that their armed forces have targeted both Arab and Tuareg minority families in a hunt for rebels in the nation's increasingly complicated conflict.
Reports have surfaced that many have suffered torture, killings and reprisals over false accusations of aiding rebels.
While promising to investigate the allegations, Coulibably said, "it's hard" to conduct a thorough investigation of these particular claims, adding, "We can't, in the name of avoiding discrimination, let an Arab or Tuareg go just because he's Arab or Tuareg, if he is guilty."
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said Tuesday, "The first responsibility to avoid this kind of reprisal ... rests with the Malian authorities themselves."
U.S.-backed French forces invaded the country earlier this year, in accordance with the Mali military, in an attempt to violently wrest power in its former colony and current 'trade partner' from disparate political factions.
French forces have received continued aid from the U.S. for the operation as reports of widespread innocent civilian causalities--including children--have surfaced. Many commentators have shown that the conflict has quickly gone the way of quagmire with no sign of resolution in the near future.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported Monday that the U.S. is likely to resume direct support for Mali's military in addition to the French campaign, should new elections take place in the military coup controlled nation.
The U.S., which has been indirectly funding Mali's military objectives through aid to France's intervention, is technically prohibited from directly assisting Mali's armed forces due to its military coup last March. On a recent trip to Mali Senator Christopher Coons, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa, was asked by reporters if increased U.S. support for Mali's military could materialize. He responded, "After there is a full restoration of democracy, I would think it is likely that we will renew our direct support for the Malian military."
Before last year's coup in Mali--led by a U.S.-trained Malian army captain--the American military had been providing combat training to several Malian army battalions, Reuters reports.
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. He is the author of Migrant Justice in the Age of Removal. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Following recent allegations that the Mali army has been conducting widespread human rights violations in the nation's French-led and U.S.-backed conflict, the U.S. announced today that it will once again directly fund the country's military after a new round of elections.
In an interview with the Associated Press this week, Malian Foreign Minister Tieman Coulibaly said that the military-led government is investigating claims that their armed forces have targeted both Arab and Tuareg minority families in a hunt for rebels in the nation's increasingly complicated conflict.
Reports have surfaced that many have suffered torture, killings and reprisals over false accusations of aiding rebels.
While promising to investigate the allegations, Coulibably said, "it's hard" to conduct a thorough investigation of these particular claims, adding, "We can't, in the name of avoiding discrimination, let an Arab or Tuareg go just because he's Arab or Tuareg, if he is guilty."
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot said Tuesday, "The first responsibility to avoid this kind of reprisal ... rests with the Malian authorities themselves."
U.S.-backed French forces invaded the country earlier this year, in accordance with the Mali military, in an attempt to violently wrest power in its former colony and current 'trade partner' from disparate political factions.
French forces have received continued aid from the U.S. for the operation as reports of widespread innocent civilian causalities--including children--have surfaced. Many commentators have shown that the conflict has quickly gone the way of quagmire with no sign of resolution in the near future.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported Monday that the U.S. is likely to resume direct support for Mali's military in addition to the French campaign, should new elections take place in the military coup controlled nation.
The U.S., which has been indirectly funding Mali's military objectives through aid to France's intervention, is technically prohibited from directly assisting Mali's armed forces due to its military coup last March. On a recent trip to Mali Senator Christopher Coons, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa, was asked by reporters if increased U.S. support for Mali's military could materialize. He responded, "After there is a full restoration of democracy, I would think it is likely that we will renew our direct support for the Malian military."
Before last year's coup in Mali--led by a U.S.-trained Malian army captain--the American military had been providing combat training to several Malian army battalions, Reuters reports.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.