(CBS News) BAMAKO, Mali - The French president capped the
triumph of his nation's forces -- with American help -- of retaking the center
of culture in this African nation with a quick visit Saturday to the city whose
people suffered under the severe Islamic code known as shariah law.
It was a victory lap for French President Francois Hollande.
The troops he sent in to Mali Timbuktu
The extremists not only tyrannized people with public
lashings and amputations, they also desecrated the heritage of this ancient
desert trading post.
Mali
soldiers accused of murder, torture
Mali desert nomads reenter fight against militants
Video: Flash Points: Is Mali the new heart of the al Qaeda network?
Mali desert nomads reenter fight against militants
Video: Flash Points: Is Mali the new heart of the al Qaeda network?
Its elaborate mud brick mosques are protected by the United
Nations and so were its tombs, built for Islamic saints nearly 700 years ago. A
local resident, Sidi Babbi, showed CBS News two of them, now in ruins.
Last spring, the extremists decided they weren't Islamic
enough and sent in a wrecking crew.
"We were heartbroken," Babbi said through a
translator, "but when we protested they fired their guns in the air to
drive us away."
At Timbuktu
But on Saturday the librarians had good news for France
Now, feeling safe again, the people of Timbuktu
But for the French government, mindful of America Afghanistan Iraq
The United States Mali U.S. Mali
Francois Hollande was speaking during a visit to the
recently recaptured city of Timbuktu France
Mr Hollande said French forces would help Malian forces
finish the job of re-establishing control in the north.
And he vowed later to help rebuild Mali
Meanwhile, the UN said Tuareg and Arabs in the north were at
risk of reprisals.
The UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide said
there had been serious allegations of human rights violations committed by the
Malian army, including summary executions and disappearances.
“Start Quote
The crowd was a raucous blaze of colours - the women
delighted to be free of the black veils demanded by the militants, and now
proudly wearing their finest dresses”
There had also been reports of incidents of mob lynching and
looting of properties belonging to Arab and Tuareg communities, which had been
accused of supporting armed Islamist groups, Adama Dieng added.
The allegations came as heavily-armoured columns of French
and Malian troops continued their advance in northern Mali
They are attempting to secure the north-eastern city of Kidal
'Still dangerous'
Mr Hollande flew into the central town of Sevare Mali
They then flew to Timbuktu
Mr Hollande said French troops would stay in Mali
Speaking beside the French president during the rapturous Timbuktu Mali France Mali France
Crowds waved French flags and shouted "Vive la France
"If I could have one wish, it would be that the French
army stays in the Sahara , that they create a base
here," Moustapha Ben Essayati, a resident, told the Associated Press news
agency.
Many women wore vibrantly coloured clothes and jewellery,
which correspondents say was something they could not do during the past year
of Islamist rule.
"The women of Timbuktu AFP
news agency.
"We must tell him that he has cut down the tree but
still has to tear up its roots," she added, referring to the Islamist
militants.
October 2011: Ethnic Tuaregs launch new rebellion after
returning with weapons from Libya
March 2012: Military officers depose President Amadou
Toumani Toure over handling of rebellion
April 2012: Tuareg and Islamist fighters seize control of
northern Mali
June 2012: Islamist groups capture Timbuktu
September 2012: Islamist rebels seize town of Douentza Mali
January 2013: Islamist fighters capture central town of Konna France
Addressing French troops at Timbuktu
"The conflict is not over. It would be a mistake to
think that because, with our Malian friends, we have managed to restore order
in towns like Gao and Timbuktu
"The Malian authorities want to restore the territorial
integrity that was - for a time - snatched away from them. We will be at their
side."
Before he left for Mali Mali
About 800 French soldiers, including hundreds of
paratroopers, took part in the operation which saw Timbuktu Mali
Nearly 2,000 army personnel from Chad Niger Sahara desert, are already
helping consolidate the recent gains. A further 6,000 troops will be deployed
as part of the UN-backed African-led International Support Mission to Mali
The BBC 's Andrew Harding
in Timbuktu
Now, things get more complicated, our correspondent adds,
and if the French get their exit strategy wrong and move too quickly, Mali
Are you in Mali
Top of Form
October 2011: Ethnic Tuaregs launch new rebellion after
returning with weapons from Libya
March 2012: Military officers depose President Amadou
Toumani Toure over handling of rebellion
April 2012: Tuareg and Islamist fighters seize cA group of
jihadis came knocking at the gate late on Wednesday night last week. But the
Ahmed Baba centre in the Malian city of Timbuktu
The Islamist militants tricked the guard and said they were
coming to secure the place. But once inside, they ransacked the centre's
reading room.
When historian Abdoulaye Cisse arrived early in the morning,
the pile of ashes was still warm.
"They probably spent most of the night in there,"
he said.
Dozens of empty handcrafted boxes still litter the floor of
the hallway. Ashes haven't been removed yet either.
A few people come in and out surveying the irreparable
damage and lament the remains of a cultural trove kept in Timbuktu
“Start Quote
It's a huge wealth that will be impossible to replace”
Abdoulaye CisseHistorian
At least 2,000 manuscripts were stored in this centre that
was opened in 2009, funded by the South African government.
The project was meant to catalogue and preserve the city's
historical documents, many of which continue to be held by families or smaller
libraries.
Another 28,000 were due to be transferred to the Ahmed Baba
premises but were instead sent to the capital after al-Qaeda militants arrived
in the city last year.
Each box is tagged with a reference number and if the search
is properly done, these tags should reveal the full extent of the damage.
It could also reveal how many were simply stolen.
"These fighters know too well how much these papers are
valued, it's a huge wealth that will be impossible to replace," Mr Cisse
told the BBC .
The Institute's manuscripts date back to the 13th century
(file image)
"When I surveyed the reading room, I found about 30
left so I brought them home to secure them," he said.
The offending texts ranged from history to geography and
astronomy, medicine and Islamic law; writings dating back in some cases as far
as the 13th Century.
In the reading room, shelves were emptied and the desk
equipped with a magnifying glass vandalised.
Named after a saint of the ancient city who wrote many
manuscripts himself, the Ahmed Baba centre stands out for its modernity but was
designed to echo the famous Timbuktu
The Islamist militants prepared to flee last week knowing
that an assault by the French-led forces on their positions here was imminent.
But in their haste, they took the time to commit one last
act of vengeance.
They had sparked worldwide condemnation last year when they
destroyed sacred tombs and shrines designated as Unesco World Heritage sites on
the pretext that they violated principles of Islamic law.
Treasures of Timbuktu
700,000 manuscripts had survived in public libraries and
private collections
Books on religion, law, literature and science
Added to Unesco world heritage list in 1988 for its three
mosques and 16 cemeteries and mausoleums
They played a major role in spreading Islam in West
Africa ; the oldest dates from 1329
Islamists destroyed mausoleums after seizing the city
Elhadj Djitteye, who used to guide visitors in town, reckons
that the fighters linked to al-Qaeda carried out the attack on the library in
response to the French military intervention ordered earlier in January by
President Francois Hollande.
Noting that the jihadis hadn't touched the manuscripts in 10
months of occupation, Mr Djitteye sadly comments that they "hit Timbuktu
The militants' destructive parting gesture left many
residents feeling that another part of their celebrated city's history had just
been erased.
The people of Timbuktu
Reminders of the extremists, like the black banners
proclaiming sharia at the city gates, are being removed.
But in just under a year, the Islamist militants have
inflicted lasting damage on Mali Timbuktu
ontrol of northern Mali
June 2012: Islamist groups capture Timbuktu
September 2012: Islamist rebels seize town of Douentza Mali
January 2013: Islamist fighters capture central town of Konna France
By Thomas FessyBBC News, Timbuktu
A group of jihadis came knocking at the gate late on
Wednesday night last week. But the Ahmed Baba centre in the Malian city of Timbuktu
The Islamist militants tricked the guard and said they were
coming to secure the place. But once inside, they ransacked the centre's
reading room.
When historian Abdoulaye Cisse arrived early in the morning,
the pile of ashes was still warm.
"They probably spent most of the night in there,"
he said.
Dozens of empty handcrafted boxes still litter the floor of
the hallway. Ashes haven't been removed yet either.
A few people come in and out surveying the irreparable
damage and lament the remains of a cultural trove kept in Timbuktu
“Start Quote
It's a huge wealth that will be impossible to replace”
Abdoulaye Cisse Historian
At least 2,000 manuscripts were stored in this centre that
was opened in 2009, funded by the South African government.
The project was meant to catalogue and preserve the city's
historical documents, many of which continue to be held by families or smaller
libraries.
Another 28,000 were due to be transferred to the Ahmed Baba
premises but were instead sent to the capital after al-Qaeda militants arrived
in the city last year.
Each box is tagged with a reference number and if the search
is properly done, these tags should reveal the full extent of the damage.
It could also reveal how many were simply stolen.
"These fighters know too well how much these papers are
valued, it's a huge wealth that will be impossible to replace," Mr Cisse
told the BBC .
The Institute's manuscripts date back to the 13th century
(file image)
"When I surveyed the reading room, I found about 30
left so I brought them home to secure them," he said.
The offending texts ranged from history to geography and
astronomy, medicine and Islamic law; writings dating back in some cases as far
as the 13th Century.
In the reading room, shelves were emptied and the desk
equipped with a magnifying glass vandalised.
Named after a saint of the ancient city who wrote many
manuscripts himself, the Ahmed Baba centre stands out for its modernity but was
designed to echo the famous Timbuktu
The Islamist militants prepared to flee last week knowing
that an assault by the French-led forces on their positions here was imminent.
But in their haste, they took the time to commit one last
act of vengeance.
They had sparked worldwide condemnation last year when they
destroyed sacred tombs and shrines designated as Unesco World Heritage sites on
the pretext that they violated principles of Islamic law.
Treasures of Timbuktu
700,000 manuscripts had survived in public libraries and
private collections
Books on religion, law, literature and science
Added to Unesco world heritage list in 1988 for its three
mosques and 16 cemeteries and mausoleums
They played a major role in spreading Islam in West
Africa ; the oldest dates from 1329
Islamists destroyed mausoleums after seizing the city
Elhadj Djitteye, who used to guide visitors in town, reckons
that the fighters linked to al-Qaeda carried out the attack on the library in
response to the French military intervention ordered earlier in January by
President Francois Hollande.
Noting that the jihadis hadn't touched the manuscripts in 10
months of occupation, Mr Djitteye sadly comments that they "hit Timbuktu
The militants' destructive parting gesture left many
residents feeling that another part of their celebrated city's history had just
been erased.
The people of Timbuktu
Reminders of the extremists, like the black banners
proclaiming sharia at the city gates, are being removed.
But in just under a year, the Islamist militants have
inflicted lasting damage on Mali Timbuktu
It was hit by a coup in March 2012 - and a rebellion in the
north that has caused alarm around the world.
The former colonial power has now deployed troops after an
appeal from Mali
Here is a guide to some of the main players:
The Islamist rebels
Iyad Ag Ghaly is a Tuareg and leader of Ansar Dine
The five main Islamists groups in Mali West Africa
(Mujao), al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Signed-in-Blood Battalion
and the Islamic Movement for Azawad (IMA ).
Ansar Dine is seen as a home-grown movement, led by renowned
former Tuareg
rebel leader Iyad Ag Ghaly.
Its objective is to impose Islamic law across Mali
In contrast, AQIM - the north African wing of al-Qaeda - has
its roots in the bitter Algerian civil war of the early 1990s, but has since
evolved to take on a more international Islamist agenda.
It emerged in early 2007, after the feared Algerian Salafist
Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) aligned itself with Osama Bin Laden's
international network.
The group has since attracted members from Mauritania Morocco Mali Niger Senegal
Idolatry
AQIM says its aim is to spread Islamic law, as well as to
liberate Malians from French colonial legacy.
The movement is known for kidnapping Westerners, and ransom
money is believed to be a key source of revenue for AQIM, alongside
drug-trafficking.
The third Islamist group, Mujao, is an AQIM splinter group,
formed in mid-2011.
Ansar Dine seeks to impose Islamic law across the
country
A number of its militants are Tuareg fighters who returned
from Libya
Islamic Movement for Azawad split from Ansar Dine in
late January 2013
Says it opposes "terrorism and extremism"
Advocates dialogue with the government to resolve grievances
of northern Malians
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is al-Qaeda's
North African wing, with roots in Algeria
Made up mostly of foreign fighters
Says it wants to spread Islamic law and liberate Malians
from French colonial legacy
Known for kidnapping Westerners
Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa
(Mujao) is an AQIM splinter group whose aim is to spread jihad to the
whole of West Africa
Advocates Islamic law and has waged a campaign of violence
against Tuareg separatists
Signed-in-Blood Battalion is a recent AQIM offshoot
committed to a global jihad
Made up mostly of foreign fighters
Has vowed to uphold Sharia in northern Mali
Was responsible for January 2013 siege of Algerian gas
facility, taking and killing foreign hostages
The National Movement Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) is a
secular Tuareg group which seeks independence for a homeland they call Azawad
Cause dates back to when Mali
Many of MNLA's Tuareg combatants fought alongside Colonel
Gaddafi's troops
Former allies of Ansar Dine and Mujao, but now opposed to
Islamist groups
It says its objective is to spread jihad to West
Africa rather than confine itself to the Sahel
and Maghreb regions - the main focus of AQIM.
But Mujao's first major operation was in Algeria Tindouf
Although it has many Malian Tuaregs within its ranks, Mujao
is believed to be led by a Mauritanian, Hamada Ould Mohamed Kheirou.
Mujao's sphere of influence is mainly in north-eastern Mali Mali
Ansar Dine's influence is mainly in the north-west, where it
captured the historic city of Timbuktu
The group split in January 2013, when the IMA
- led by Alghabass Ag Intalla, an influential figure in Kidal - was formed.
Mr Intalla was a high-ranking member of the Ansar Dine team
which negotiated with Mali
He says he split from Ansar Dine because he opposes
"terrorism", and favours dialogue.
The IMA says it champions
the cause of the people of northern Mali Bamako
AQIM operates freely across the north, as it has close ties
with Ansar Dine and Mujao.
AQIM recruits are said to be part of the police force which
imposes Sharia in Timbuktu
The
Arabic TV channel Al Jazeera reports on its website that its
correspondent saw top AQIM commander, the Algerian Abdelmalek Droukdel who is
also known as Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud, touring Timbuktu's main market last year.
There are unconfirmed reports that AQIM has also given
training in the vast Malian desert to Boko Haram, the Islamist group which has
carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations in Nigeria.
The Signed-in-Blood Battalion, led by the Algerian Mokhtar
Belmokhtar, also has strong ties with Ansar Dine and Mujao.
It was formed late last year as an AQIM offshoot after
Belmokhtar fell out with the group.
According to Mauritania
All these militants follow the Saudi-inspired Wahhabi/Salafi
sect of Islam, making them unpopular with most Malian Muslims who belong to the
rival Sufi sect.
They have tried to impose their version of Islam, amputating
limps of people convicted of crimes and and destroying Sufi shrines, which they
claim promote idolatry.
The UN Security Council has warned that that the destruction
of shrines in Timbuktu
According to a report in India's The Hindu newspaper,
Ansar Dine and Mujao have expanded the rebellion beyond the Tuaregs by
incorporating a number of other ethnic groups like the Bella and Songhai (who
have historically opposed the Tuareg) into a multi-ethnic force, motivated by
religious fervour.
The ethnic rebels
The MNLA had been fighting for a separate state
The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (known by
its French acronym of MNLA) is ethnically driven, fighting mostly for the
rights of Mali
It was formed by Malian Tuareg in 2011, as a successor to
previous rebel groups.
During Col Muammar Gaddafi's rule in Libya Mali
After Col Gaddafi's overthrow in 2011, they returned to Mali
The Tuareg who were in Libya MIG -21 jet
in January 2012.
Supporting France
By April of that year the MNLA-led fighters had routed
government forces and the group declared the north an independent state, named
Azawad.
However, no other country recognised the state, showing the
MNLA's isolation in the global arena.
Who are the Tuareg?
Sometimes called the Blue People because the indigo used in
some traditional robes and turbans dye their skins dark blue
Historically nomadic Berber people who live in the Sahara
and Sahel regions of Libya Algeria Niger Burkina Faso Mali
When camels were introduced into the Sahara 2,000 years ago,
the Tuareg became the main operators of the trans-Saharan caravan trade in
commodities such as salt and gold
Lost out when trade switched to the Atlantic
Ocean
The Tuareg in Mali Bamako
They prefer to call themselves themselves the Kel Tamasheq
or speakers of Tamasheq - their language which has its own alphabet
At the same time, its alliance with the Islamists collapsed
and Ansar Dine and Mujao drove its forces out of the main northern towns.
Some analysts believe that the MNLA's influence waned after
it ran out of money, causing many of its fighters to defect to Ansar Dine and
Mujao.
The Islamists are far richer, earning money in recent years
by kidnapping Westerners for ransom and trafficking cocaine, marijuana and
cigarettes.
The MNLA has come out in support of France
Two important figures in the MNLA are the general secretary
Bila Ag Cherif and Mohamed Ag Najim, the head of the movement's military wing.
At the same time, the group has watered down its demand for
independence, saying it will settle, as a first step, for autonomy.
In recent months, the MNLA has endorsed mediation efforts by
Burkina Faso
Ansar Dine - the home-grown Islamist movement - also
expressed support for the initiative. It had announced a ceasefire in November
to give peace talks a chance.
But in early January, the ceasefire broke as Ansar Dine and
the Malian army accused each other of resuming hostilities.
The junta leader
Capt Amadou Sanogo is known for his charisma
As the rebels were gaining ground in the north in early
2012, Malian soldiers staged a mutiny at the Kati military camp located about
10km (six miles) from the presidential palace in Bamako
It culminated in a coup, led by a mid-ranking army officer
Capt Amadou Sanogo, one of the few officers who did not flee the Kati camp when
the rank-and-file soldiers began rioting and then headed for the seat of
government.
Having overthrown President Amadou Toumane Toure, he
promised that the Malian army would defeat the rebels. But the ill-equipped and
divided army was no match for the firepower of the rebels, who tightened their
grip over the north in the immediate aftermath of the coup.
Capt Sanogo, who is in his late 30s, is from Segou, Mali's
second largest town some 240km (150 miles) north of Bamako, where his father
worked as a nurse at Segou's medical centre.
Journalist Martin Vogl describes the army officer as a
forceful, confident and charismatic man, friendly but with a slightly abrupt
manner.
In the army all his professional life, Capt Sanogo received
some of his military training in the US
Ironically, Mali
The US Mali
US Africa Command head, Gen Carter Hamm, has said he is
"sorely disappointed" with the conduct of some of the US-trained
Malian soldiers.
Some of the elite US-trained units are also said to have
defected to the Islamist rebels, who they were originally trained to fight.
Capt Sanogo has since handed power to a handpicked civilian
government, but he remains influential behind-the-scenes.
The interim president
Dioncounda Traore
Born in 1942 in the garrison town of Kati Bamako
Holds a doctorate in mathematics
Founding member in 1990 of the political party Alliance Mali
Between 1992-1997, held various ministerial portfolios
including defence and foreign affairs
Elected as speaker of the National Assembly in 2007
Sworn in as interim president of Mali
Dioncounda Traore had long harboured presidential ambitions
- but he had hoped to come to power in elections originally scheduled for April
2012.
He was born in 1942 in the garrison town of Kati Bamako
He pursued his higher education in the then Soviet
Union , Algeria France
He returned to Mali
He was a founding member in 1990 of the political party Alliance Mali
In 2007, he was elected as speaker of the National Assembly.
He was an ally of the deposed President Amadou Toumani
Toure, who had become deeply unpopular.
As a consequence, many Malians are wary of Mr Traore, who is
not seen as charismatic, says former Bamako-based journalist Martin Vogl.
This boiled over in May 2012, when supporters of the coup
attacked Mr Traore in his office, forcing him to seek medical treatment in France
When Ansar Dine ended its ceasefire and entered the central
town of Konna France
He declared a state of emergency, arguing that the rebels
wanted to expand "criminal activities" across the country.
The ousted president Known as ATT, Amadou Toumani Toure
first came to power in a coup in 1991
Amadou Toumani Toure - the army general widely credited with
rescuing Mali Mali Senegal
At first, forces loyal to him resisted the military junta,
but he eventually accepted that his rule was over.
Known as ATT, Mr Toure himself first came to power in a coup
in 1991 - overthrowing military ruler Moussa Traore after security forces killed
more than 100 pro-democracy demonstrators.
He handed power back to civilian rule the following year -
gaining respect and the nickname "soldier of democracy".
He went on to win presidential elections in May 2002, and
was re-elected in 2007.
Born in 1948, ATT had no official party - and had always
sought the backing of as many political groupings as possible.
His critics repeatedly accused him of being soft on militant
Islamists, diverting US-supplied money and weapons to fight the MNLA, whom he
saw as a bigger threat.
Analysts doubt that Mali
At first, the West African regional body, Economic Community
of West African States (Ecowas) - of which Mali
Alongside Burkina Faso Mali
But a UN-approved deployment was expected to take place only
in September, so that the mediation effort could be given a chance to succeed
and troops could be given training.
African leaders did not seem confident that a regional force
could win a war against the rebels and appealed for help from Western powers.
In early January, the African Union chairman - Benin Mali
Of the Western powers, the US
In contrast, France
Following the new rebel advance in January this year, France
Now, Ecowas has started to deploy troops, which are expected
to number more than 3,000 troops. Nigeria
Other countries that have pledged troops include Ghana Ivory Coast Burkina
Faso Niger Chad
Among North African states, Egypt France Algeria
It feared that the rebels would retreat to its side of the
border in the face of a military assault, destabilising its territory even
further.
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