Crisis in Mali and North Africa: Regional Dynamics and International Priorities

France’s recent military intervention in Mali and the hostage crisis in Algeria have brought international attention to continuing instability in West and North Africa. The crisis has renewed focus not just on the region, but also on Europe’s approach toward Africa, American policies to combat extremism and the complex history and relationships that shape modern dynamics in the Sahel.

On February 6th, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings hosted a discussion on the crisis in Mali and explore how current affairs and priorities in France, the U.S., and West and North Africa have influenced recent events and the trajectory of the conflict going forward. Panelists included: Brookings Senior Fellow and Daniel L. Byman, research director of the Saban Center; Brookings Senior Fellow Mwangi S. Kimenyi, director of the Africa Growth Initiative; Todd Moss, vice president for programs and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development; and Brookings Senior Fellow Justin Vaisse, director of research for the Center on the United States and Europe. Margaret Brennan, State Department correspondent for CBS News, moderated the discussion.