Mali’s shadow diplomacy: how private actors challenge state authority
In the heart of Mali, a single photograph has become a symbol of the country’s fractured sovereignty. The image, which spread rapidly across Malian social media, depicts opposition leader Oumar Mariko—currently living in exile—standing alongside fighters from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin, JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate […]