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US should deal with future unrest in Mali with great caution

War, devastation and civil unrest are issues that are not new to Mali or the continent of Africa.

Mali, a country plagued in recent months by uprisings in its north, was on the verge of collapse just weeks ago.

However, thanks to a series of military attacks coordinated by France, Malian and French forces, they have successfully reclaimed rebel-held cities like Timbuktu, bringing freedom back to Malian citizens.

Despite the offensive’s apparent success, France, and its somewhat indirect supporter, the U.S., should heed extreme caution in the following weeks to avoid turning Mali into another Libya or Afghanistan-type conflict.

According to the New York Times, unrest began in Northern Mali in January 2012. A group of Northern Malians, known as Tuaregs, began an uprising after receiving arms and soldiers from the recently fallen Libya, the New York Times reported.

Following the uprising, a military coup was staged, which lead to further unrest.

It was then that Islamic terrorists seized upon the fragility of Northern Mali and began instituting “Shariah law.”

Following pleas for help from Mali, as well as the threat of the terrorists reaching Mali’s capital of Bamako, which many French citizens call home, France intervened.

Its military success, which reclaimed cities like Timbuktu, has brought peace back to thousands of Malians.

What is to be of Mali’s future, though, is gravely uncertain.

The U.S. recently announced a partnership with neighboring Niger that allows for an “intelligence hub,” the Wall Street Journal reported.

According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials plan to use Niger as a military drone base.

The U.S., whose involvement in the conflict has been limited to refueling French warplanes, is in a precarious position at the moment.

What will the U.S. do now in Northern Africa?

After the September Libya attacks, which resulted in the deaths of American ambassadors, caution is greatly needed.

Whatever the U.S. chooses to do, I hope its decision is made with great deliberation.

Getting involved militarily in a country plagued by its own internal failings is not the wisest choice.

At this point, the U.S. has not expressed any direct plans to intervene in Mali militarily.

Only the possibility of implementing drones has been publicly discussed.

It is apparent to many that Mali needs help protecting itself from outside terrorist groups and internal unrest. Whether it is the responsibility of foreign countries, like France, to permanently aid Mali in its endeavors has yet to be decided.

For the moment, let us hope that this may be resolved in peace, not war.

Shane Newell is a sophomore journalism major and an assistant city editor for the Daily 49er

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