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The Aftermath of the Libyan War (III)

The New York Times reports on the Tuareg insurgency in northern Mali fueled by the remnants of Gaddafi’s arsenal: In life, he delighted in fomenting insurgencies in the African nations to the south. And in death, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi is doing it all over again. Hundreds of Tuareg rebels, heavily armed courtesy of Colonel Qaddafi’s […]

The New York Times reports on the Tuareg insurgency in northern Mali fueled by the remnants of Gaddafi’s arsenal:

In life, he delighted in fomenting insurgencies in the African nations to the south. And in death, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi is doing it all over again.

Hundreds of Tuareg rebels, heavily armed courtesy of Colonel Qaddafi’s extensive arsenal, have stormed towns in Mali’s northern desert in recent weeks, in one of the most significant regional shock waves to emanate directly from the colonel’s fall.

Who would have guessed that overthrowing a government in one country would have destabilizing effects on its neighbors?

As the report explains, this is different from previous Tuareg uprisings, because the insurgent group MNLA is much better-armed thanks to the weapons acquired during the war in Libya:

Analysts who study the region agree that the latest Tuareg resurgence is something new, and that Colonel Qaddafi is largely responsible, posthumously.

“This is a fairly significant military force,” said Pierre Boilley, a Tuareg expert at the University of Paris. “The game has changed. They can directly attack the Malian Army. I think the army will have trouble.”

Stratfor’s profile of the MNLA and the situation in Mali can be found here.

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