peter tinti

Voice of America

BAMAKO — High-level delegations from the United Nations, West African bloc ECOWAS, and the African Union met with Malian leaders Friday to develop a coherent strategy for tackling the crisis in northern Mali, where al-Qaida linked militant groups have taken control.

Mali’s interim President Dioncounda Traore urged representatives from ECOWAS, the African Union, European Union, United Nations and other key partners to act immediately in addressing the deteriorating situation in the north.

Traore assured attendees of the total cooperation of the Malian government, and said it would not falter because those present were there as friends, brothers and partners at a time when the pooling of resources is the only response to the security challenges that Mali is facing.

Traore described the situation as a “race against time” against a “common enemy” and said that these challenges represent a risk for the Sahel, for West Africa, for the Sahara, for Africa and for the world.

Click here to continue reading and click here to listen (segment starts around 6:08).

I spoke with BBC Global News this morning in advance of  today’s meeting between Malian leaders and  high-level delegations from the United Nations, ECOWAS, and the African Union. The purpose of this  highly-anticipated summit was to develop a coherent strategy for tackling the crisis in Mali. My segment starts at the 3:20 mark. You can listen to it here.

Voice of America

BAMAKO — High-level delegations from the United Nations, West African bloc ECOWAS, and the African and European Unions meet with Malian leaders Friday to hammer out details for proposed military intervention to retake Mali’s north.

In Mali’s capital city of Bamako Men gather every morning at roadside newspaper vendors to debate the headlines, more specifically, what to do about the north dominates discussion.

The territory fell to al-Qaida-linked Islamist militants in April amid the chaos that followed a March 22 coup in the south.

As the crisis drags on, hopes for a negotiated solution appear to be fading.  What was once fierce resistance to the prospect of foreign troops in Mali appears to be waning.

Many in Bamako say they worry that Mali’s army is still too disorganized and poorly equipped to take back the region alone.

Click here to listen and continue reading.

Bamako, Mali: Your humble journalist was interviewed by the good people at BBC Newshour to discuss today’s march in Bamako. As reported by AFP, “several thousand people marched in Mali’s capital Bamako on Thursday to call for armed intervention by a West African regional force to help wrest back the vast north of the country from armed Islamist groups.”

My interview aimed to put this demonstration in context and offer some insight on the current mood in Bamako. You can stream the interview here and download it here. The Mali segment starts around 41:30 or 43:00 depending on format.