Mali is a landlocked country spanning 1,241,000sqkm. It has borders with Mauritania, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Niger and Senegal. Although vulnerable to drought, the Senegal and Niger rivers keep the surrounding land fertile.

As part of the trans-Saharan route to North Africa, Mali became an important trading centre in the early 14th century. Once the route lost importance, the country was divided into small kingdoms until the French colonised it in 1895.

After independence in 1960, Mali originally joined Senegal in the Mali Federation until Senegal withdrew only a few months later.

Years of dictatorial rule ended with a coup in 1991 and the introduction of a democratic system. President Alpha Oumar Konaré won the first presidential election in 1992 and served two terms.

His time in office was marked by a succession of prime ministers who rarely lasted more than a year in
office. Konaré's presidency also saw the beginning of the Tuareg rebellion in the northern part of the country. Tuaregs are nomadic people and when their livestock-based economy fell apart, it triggered serious land disputes that continue today.

The current president, re-elected for a five-year term in April 2007, is Amadou Tamani Touré.

Despite being one of the major cotton exporters of Africa, Mali is one of the underdeveloped  countries in the world, ranking 175 on the Human Development Index released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Peace and security

There has been an ongoing Tuareg rebellion in the northern part of the country since 1990 over land, linguistic and cultural issues. A ceasefire was signed between the Malian government and representatives of the Tuareg movement in 1992. This agreement also provided for the integration of former fighters into Mali's security forces. Sporadic attacks have continued, however, with the most recent occurring in May 2006. Algerian mediation is currently in progress.

Mali had a brief border dispute with Burkina Faso in 1985 and tensions linger between the two countries.

Refugees

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in 2005 there were 11,000 refugees and 1,000 asylum-seekers in Mali. The majority are from Mauritania, followed by Côte d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone. One of the camps hosting refugees from Côte d'Ivoire was closed in December 2005 due to a drop in the number of refugees living there and the remaining refugees were moved to the Faragouran camp.

The UNHCR runs a programme to help refugees become self-sufficient and worked with the National Commission for Refugees to do capacity building for legal protection. In 2005, there were 238 applications processed and 31 people were granted refugee status.

Democracy and governance

Democracy was introduced in Mali in the early 1990's. Prior to that, the country was governed by authoritarian rulers. In 1991, the security forces of military ruler Moussa Traoré killed over 100 pro-democracy protesters. Shortly thereafter Gen Amadou Toumani Touré toppled the government. Elections were held the following year and Touré was credited with bringing democracy to the country.

Alpha Oumar Konaré won the first democratic elections in 1992 and served two consecutive terms. The establishment of democracy was further solidified with the presidential election of May 2002 when opponent Touré won the vote and power was handed over peacefully.

Touré won the 29 April 2007 presidential election - deemed generally free and fair by international observers - with over 70 per cent of the vote on a turnout of just over 36 percent.

Media

Since the arrival of democracy in the early 1990's, Mali's private media has flourished and the country enjoys one of the freest environments for the press in Africa. Print media has grown from three privately-owned publications, to over 50, including seven dailies. There are more than 160 radio stations. The country has strict laws against the slandering of public officials, although these are rarely enforced.

Economy

Mali is one of the least developed countries in the world. Over 64 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. There are several factors that have contributed to Mali's underdevelopment. Nearly 65 percent of its land is desert or semi-desert, limiting agricultural production.
Economic activity is concentrated around the Niger Delta. Eighty percent of the labour force is engaged in farming and fishing, and the main industry is food processing. With cotton as its main export, Mali is vulnerable to fluctuations in the price of cotton on the world market.
As a landlocked country, access to ports is difficult, particularly through Côte d'Ivoire where there has been a civil war.

Despite these obstacles, Mali is working towards economic reform. The 50 percent devaluation of the CFA in 1994 and the implementation of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommended structural adjustment programme, has helped diversify the economy and attract foreign investment.
The gross domestic product has grown annually by five percent from 1996 to 2005, which has helped raise the average monthly income from US$240 in 1994 to US$370 in 2004. The government has also given strong support to gold production, which helped the sector through a critical period in 2004.

Population

The population of Mali is estimated at 13.1 million with an average growth rate of 2.9 percent per year. The fertility rate is one of the highest in the world. On average women have 6.9 children. The majority of the population is rural, with 10 percent being nomadic. Nearly 90 percent of the population is Muslim and the major ethnic groups are the Bambara, Malinke, and Soninke, which are all part of the Mande. The country also has Peul, Voltaic, Songhai, Tuareg and Moor inhabitants.

Development indicators

According to the UN Development Fund, the Human Development Index value for Mali is 0.333, making it one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 47.8 years. Despite a high fertility rate, infant mortality is 121 for every 1,000 live births and the maternal mortality rate is 1,200 for every 100,000 births. The country suffers from a high illiteracy rate, particularly amongst women. Only 12 percent of women are literate and 27 percent of men.

Education

Although education is free in Mali, and primary school is compulsory until the age of 12, only half of the country's population attends school. According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), 66 percent of boys are enrolled in primary school, and 50 percent of girls. Enrolment drops considerably at the secondary level, with only 25 percent of boys and 14 percent of girls registered.

Apart from public schools, the country also has Medersas, private schools that combine religious and secular education, and private Koranic schools, whose main emphasis is on religious instruction. Medersas receive a small amount of state support, whereas Koranic schools are completely funded by parent donations and money collected by students sent out to beg.

Challenges faced by Mali's education system include a lack of schools, particularly in rural areas, the inability of parents to afford the costs of uniforms and supplies, early marriage and a shortage of teachers.

Children

There are several laws in the country aimed at protecting children, and each region in Mali has an appointed government delegate charged with providing for the welfare and rights of children. Despite these measures, many aberrations against the rights of children exist.

Child marriage and female genital mutilation continue to be widely practiced in rural areas. UNICEF estimates that over 90 percent of women between aged 15-49 have been excised and that over 65 percent of women aged 20-24 were married before the age of 18. Malnutrition is also a problem, with 33 percent of children suffering from a lack of food. A report on human rights by the US State Department noted that children are domestically trafficked to work in rice fields, mines and as domestic workers.

Health

Mali has only six regional hospitals and three national hospitals. Only 45 percent of the population has access to adequate sanitation facilities. Malaria remains endemic in the country, and accounts for 13 percent of all mortality, yet only 8 percent of children under five sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Maternal mortality is also a major issue. There are 1,200 deaths for every 100,000 live births.

HIV/AIDS

The estimated prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Mali is 1.9 percent. There are 84,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, half of them women. Only 14 percent of women used protection the last time they engaged in at-risk sexual relations. From information gathered at ante-natal clinics, there is a rise in the prevalence of AIDS.
Clinics registered that 3.5 percent of women visiting the clinics had HIV/AIDS. There are 75,000 AIDS orphans in the country, which represents nearly one-tenth of all orphans in Mali.

Food security

Food supplies were sufficient in Mali in 2001-2002, but a locust invasion, followed by a poor rainy season in 2004, created pockets of malnutrition in the north in 2005. There was a 42 percent decline in grain production in 2005 compared to the 2003/2004 season. This food crisis placed 10 percent of the population at risk.

Malnutrition remains a serious problem. It accounts for over 50 percent of infant deaths. Although poor diet and frequent infections are the main causes of malnutrition, there is also a lack of information regarding good nutritional practices.
Mothers rarely use weaning foods when transitioning their children from breast milk to family meals. UNICEF estimates that 38 percent of children under five have their growth seriously or moderately hindered by malnutrition.

Gender issues

One of the priorities of the government is to promote the rights of women. In 1993, a ministerial position was created specifically to oversee a commission aimed at promoting the role of women. In 1997, it was expanded to also include children and family. In 2001, there were seven female ministers out of 22, and 18 female deputies out of 147.

Female genital excision is still a common practice and local NGO's estimate that nearly 90 percent of adult women have undergone the practice. There are no laws in the country prohibiting the practice, However, it cannot be performed in government-funded health centres.
Maternal mortality remains high in the country, with more than one in ten women being at risk of dying during childbirth. Cultural traditions play a large role in hampering women's rights.

Human rights

A report on human rights by the US State Department noted that there are several areas in which Mali is deficient. Prison conditions are poor, there are arbitrary arrests and lengthy pre-trial detentions. Domestic violence, discrimination against women and female genital excision remain common. There is also the presence of child trafficking, child labour, and hereditary servitude between ethnic groups.

The UNDP said that although in theory Mali has implemented laws and structures favourable to the respect of human rights, many obstacles remain in applying them. Poverty and cultural traditions are the biggest impediments.
There is also a lack of coordination of activities and programmes to promote human rights, and local groups receive little support.

Humanitarian needs

Eradicating poverty and hunger are the two Millennium Development Goals that Mali is focused on achieving. Food insecurity is a real threat and the country is vulnerable to environmental conditions that could potentially affect crops. Women's rights need to be strengthened and the number of girls being educated remains low.

CREDIT : IRIN - United Nations Office – Humanitarian Country Profile