{{Once hailed as a model of democracy in Africa, a coup and an uprising of Islamist militants in the north threatens to create an arc of instability for the continent.}}<\/p>\n
The militants have destroyed ancient shrines, once a major draw for Islamic scholars from around the world. They have banned music.
\nAnd reports of human rights abuses grow daily, including the public stoning death of a couple accused of having an affair.<\/p>\n
International leaders, concerned that al Qaeda will capitalize on the chaos and set up a haven there, are considering sending troops to Mali soon to reclaim a large portion of the north from extremists.<\/p>\n
{{What’s the story behind the instability?}}<\/p>\n
Mali gained independence from France in 1960. The landlocked West African nation went through growing pains after independence, including droughts, rebellions and years of military dictatorship. <\/p>\n
It held its first democratic elections in 1992, and had a strong democracy for the most part.<\/p>\n
That was until March, when a group of soldiers toppled the government, undermining the nation’s growing economy and relative social stability.<\/p>\n
{{What led to the coup?}}<\/p>\n
A group of outraged soldiers accused the government of not providing adequate equipment to battle ethnic Tuareg rebels roaming the vast desert in the north.<\/p>\n
On March 22, a riot erupted at a military camp a few miles from the presidential palace in the capital of Bamako. Disgruntled soldiers marched to the palace.<\/p>\n
A few hours later, a soldier appeared on state television and said the military was in control of the nation. The president was nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n
The Tuareg rebels took advantage of the power vacuum and seized some parts of the north. They have always wanted independence, and have staged several rebellions since the 1960s.<\/p>\n
After Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was killed and Libya plunged into chaos, his weapons became available. The Tuareg — many of whom fought for him — seized them and took up arms against the Malian government.<\/p>\n
{{How the north end up in the hands of Islamist militants}}<\/p>\n
After Tuareg rebels seized it, a power struggle erupted with local Islamist radicals. The Islamist extremists toppled the tribe and seized control of two-thirds of northern Mali, an area the size of France.<\/p>\n
Various factions of al Qaeda-linked militants are reportedly in the area, including Ansar Dine.<\/p>\n
The international community is also worried that al Qaeda’s north African wing is expanding into Mali.<\/p>\n
U.S. officials have said that the wing, the al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, is linked to the deadly Benghazi attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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