Main points
- The many dimensions of Mali’s current crisis are connected. Rule of law issues, conflicts over land tenure, organized crime and jihadist expansion are all interconnected issues rather than separate challenges that have hit the country separately. Corruption is at the heart of the problems of mistrust that allowed these issues to spiral out of control.
- Addressing corruption and the justice gap in rural and peripheral areas is key to social and economic development, as well as building sustainable peace.
- While Mali’s anti-corruption framework has some serious flaws, some key institutions have shown capable of effectively investigating corruption cases.
- In recent years, Mali’s government has also introduced a number of reforms and new laws that, all else being equal, can potentially create more transparency and inclusive forms of governance.