After Islamist forces destroyed a number of historic mausoleums in the northern Malian city of Timbuktu, residents in the town of Gao have taken to standing guard outside of their own religious monuments. Our Observer describes how life in Gao has changed since Islamists took control of the region, amid fears that the city’s historic and spiritual sites could be next to come under attack. Read more…

 

 

The video shows men tied up in the back of a truck and dragged half-naked on the ground. This disturbing footage was shot in the military camp of Kati, near the Malian capital Bamako. The camp served as the headquarters of the junta that deposed president Amadou Toumani Touré in March. Soldiers and officers loyal to Touré have been detained at this camp for the past two months. The scene is extremely brutal, and proves that loyalist soldiers (“red berets”) have been treated violently while in detention. Read more…

 

The Tuareg separatists who, along with radical Islamist groups, have taken control of northern Mali are preparing for the possibility of a counter-attack by the Malian army. One of our Observers, who recently travelled to the northern city of Gao, was able to photograph these separatists posing proudly with their military arsenal. One of their commanders agreed to tell us about how he and his men are getting ready to fight. Read more and see photos...

 

One of our Observers, Assan Midal, spent several weeks travelling around northern Mali, which is currently under the control of radical Islamist militant group Ansar Dine and Tuareg forces fighting for independence. These photos show a region that is completely cut off from the rest of the world.