Mali’s security crisis has worsened since rival armed groups have allied and launched coordinated attacks across the country.Al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has claimed responsibility for attacks by gunmen that began on Saturday. They were carried out in Kati near Bamako as well as the capital’s airport and other locations farther north, including Kidal, Mopti, Sevare and Gao. Tuareg rebels claimed participation in the assaults.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listDefence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in the attacks.The attacks have exposed security vulnerabilities in the country, which once was a beacon of democracy in the region but has been reeling from political and security crises since 2012.Here’s a timeline of how the security situation has deteriorated in Mali:1960: Mali gains independenceThe former French colony became independent on September 22, 1960, and Modibo Keita was elected the country’s first president.Keita was a staunch proponent of African socialism. But his rule of the country through socialist policies of nationalisation failed to yield economic benefits. The country also experienced severe droughts, which led to poor harvests under his leadership.In November 1968, Keita was overthrown in a bloody military coup led by Lieutenant Moussa Traore.1968-1991: Military dictatorshipAfter leading the coup, Traore established himself as president for the next 23 years.According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Traore established “a highly repressive regime that routinely opened fire on protesters and eliminated rivals or those that dared to voice dissent”. Adver …
