Today, SIPRI launches a new film capturing insights from international and Malian actors on the complexity of the crisis in Central Mali, in an effort to understand the nature of the conflict and ways of addressing it. The film, entitled ‘Understanding and addressing the root causes of conflicts in Central Mali’, provides an overview of SIPRI’s work in Central Mali as part of the three-year ‘Central Mali Project for Security and Development’.
Watch the SIPRI Overview film on SIPRI’s YouTube channel and on Facebook.
The film highlights the complexity of the factors characterizing the insecurity situation in Mali’s central regions (Mopti and Ségou), which includes but is not limited to intercommunal violence and attacks by armed groups and terrorist organizations. The various tensions are further compounded by limited state operations amid challenges posed by climate change, growth of population in the area and resource scarcity. SIPRI’s work in Central Mali aims to achieve a better understanding of local priorities by focusing on the needs of the population with respect to both physical and human security, access to basic services, infrastructure, education and healthcare, among others. The film further focuses on the expectations of the Malian population of a return of the state; a state which not only can provide basic services, but which is fair and respectful of human rights.
SIPRI has released several films showcasing the various stages of the ‘Central Mali Project for Security and Development’, most recently the SIPRI Reflection film ‘Policy reactions and ways forward in Central Mali’, based on the research findings of the SIPRI report ‘The Challenges of Governance, Development and Security in the Central Regions of Mali’.
About the project
The three-year project ‘Central Mali Project for Security and Development’ is funded by the European Union and implemented by SIPRI and its Malian research partner, Point Sud. The project, which began in 2018, monitors governance, security and socio-economic development indicators in the Mopti and Ségou regions. The indicators are based on responses to questionnaires that are distributed every three months to a representative sample of the population. This bottom-up approach directly identifies the population’s expectations and needs.
Media contacts
For information or interview requests contact Alexandra Manolache (alexandra.manolache@sipri.org, +46 766 286 133) or Stephanie Blenckner (blenckner@sipri.org, +46 8 655 97 47).