Mali
Republic of Mali
Population
22.6M
GDP
$19.2B
Capital
Bamako
Government
Military junta (transitional)
At a Glance
Human Development
0.4
HDI (0-1)
Democracy
3.4
EIU (0-10)
Press Freedom
—
RSF score
Corruption
—
TI CPI (0-100)
Innovation
—
GII score
Happiness
—
WHR (0-10)
Mali has been at the center of the Sahel security crisis since a 2012 Tuareg rebellion and jihadist takeover of the north, which prompted French military intervention (Operation Serval, later Barkhane). Two military coups in 2020 and 2021 brought Colonel Assimi Goita to power, and the junta has fundamentally reoriented Mali's foreign policy away from France and toward Russia.
The junta expelled French forces, the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA), and French media. It invited Russian Africa Corps (formerly Wagner Group) forces and has been accused of significant human rights abuses in counterinsurgency operations. Mali, together with Burkina Faso and Niger, formed the Alliance of Sahel States and announced its withdrawal from ECOWAS.
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Ask Atlas anything about MaliMUN Delegate Guide
As Mali, be a vocal advocate for sovereignty and against foreign interference. Criticize the failure of French intervention and MINUSMA to bring security, and defend your right to choose security partners -- including Russia. Frame the Sahelian crisis as a legacy of the 2011 Libya intervention, which destabilized the entire region.
Ally with Burkina Faso and Niger through the Alliance of Sahel States. Build ties with Russia, China, and Algeria. Push back against ECOWAS sanctions and Western conditionality. On development, emphasize that security and poverty are interlinked and that external actors bear responsibility for destabilizing the region.
Foreign Policy
Mali's military government has executed a dramatic foreign policy pivot, replacing the French security partnership with Russian military cooperation, deepening ties with Turkey and Iran, and joining the Alliance of Sahel States. The junta expelled MINUSMA, ending one of the UN's most complex peacekeeping missions.
Bamako frames its realignment as a reassertion of sovereignty against neocolonial interference. It has sought to maintain economic ties with China and the Gulf states while resisting ECOWAS pressure for democratic transition.