Page 64 - Apmor 2018

oil security

How Oil Exploration Is Adding

to Mali’s Security Woes By Julie Snorek

the world, with nearly half the
population living near the poverty line.
OIn the past six years, the country has
experienced civil war, jihadist terrorism and a
coup d’etât. More than 500,000 Malians have
fled the instability and violence.
Supported by France and the US, a coalition
of Sahelian states - called the G5 - have been
mobilised by the UN Security Council to
secure Mali from jihadist advances. At stake
for all these multinational forces are also
wider interests of regional stability, including
petroleum and mineral resources.
Despite the increased militarisation of the
country, jihadist insurgents continue to attack
multiple Western and military outposts. This in Former Malian President Amadou Toumani Touré
turn has increased the need for their continued
intervention.
Adding to the complex security mix is the fact partners to able to operate. This is likely to the Coordination of the Azawad Movement
that multinational companies are exploring mean using foreign military forces to protect and Al-Qaïda of the Islamic Maghreb, and they
petroleum reserves in Mali’s Taoudeni Basin. commercial activities. have highly contradictory priorities.
The basin stretches from Mali’s northern
borders with Algeria and Mauritania southward Jihadist groups The Coordination of the Azawad Movement
to the river Niger - it contains vast oil and gas The French have engaged in counter terrorism is a secular movement responding to the
reserves. Estimates drawn up in 2015 suggest in the region since January 2013. Their original marginalisation of Northern Mali and is a
that Taoudeni has petroleum resources on a operation emptied Mali’s main cities of Al coalition of armed groups that rose up after
par with Algeria. Qaïda of the Islamic Maghreb and other groups the 2012 rebellion. The group was party of
that had taken over during the 2012 civil war. the May 2015 Algiers Peace Accords that
But it failed to weaken the jihadist groups. attempted to end Mali’s three year-long civil
For the past four years Mali’s war. Through these discussions, the group
central government in Bamako France now has 4,000 troops contributing to requested that 20% of the region’s energy and
the G5’s 5,000. There is also an American drone
has encouraged exploration of the base, a UN peacekeeping force and the US has mineral production be reinvested in northern
Mali.
basin. This suggests that a certain trained the Malian army. All have contributed
threshold of stability has been to Mali becoming increasingly dependent on
achieved and that the government external forces to keep the peace.
believes that oil exploration can Yet even with more sophisticated fire power, In contrast, Al-Qaïda hopes to
contribute to the region’s long term the military has failed to stem the growth reinstate the Islamic Maghreb and
stability. of terror groups or prevent attacks. Jihadist rule the region as the caliphates
groups seem to be garnering greater influence did in the Middle Ages. To achieve
over local populations and thus greater this goal, the group has terrorised
The reality is that it’s likely to do the opposite permanence in the region. This is in part due to
and fuel tensions rather than ease them. Fears the fact that it serves as an alternative to the western symbols like the attack on
that oil exploration will exacerbate tensions failing Malian government in some regions. a popular hotel in Bamako in 2015.
are based on the fact that oil companies
need protection from the government and its Since 2012, two groups are reported to control
the northern part of the region. These include

64 | AFRICAN POWER Mining & Oil Review Vol 21, Issue 20, 2017