As we mentioned in our last post, the time since we left Mali has not been an easy one. A country that had been held up as an example of successful democracy for the last 20 years went through a military coup, a Tuareg rebellion coopted by Al Qaeda that conquered almost half the country, and an armed French intervention to push back that rebellion. I could describe these events, but in this case I will leave it to the professionals at the New York Times and their interactive timeline:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/01/18/world/africa/mali-algeria-timeline.html#/#time231_7133
For our staff and students in Niamakoro, these events brought many difficult changes. In our conversations these last several months, we heard about the closure of the school during the coup, city-wide curfews, food and fuel shortages, and a lot of mixed emotions at the arrival of the French army. Through it all, the NEP programs have continued in the service of the community and the future leaders of the country. To see some photos from library activities during this tumultuous time, check out our 2012-13 School Year album.
With the arrival of the UN peacekeepers this month and presidential elections scheduled for July 28th, it will be very interesting to see what happens next. Stay tuned for some Malian voices on these crucial moments for the country.
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