The Battle for Mali: A Decade Long Insurgency The recent battle for a Malian military base has left dozens of militant Islamists dead.
While this skirmish is significant in its own right, it's also a symptom of a broader crisis that has been festering in the country since 2012. Mali's insurgency has evolved significantly over the past decade.
In 2012, the north and east were already under the grip of insurgent groups, but there was still a semblance of order in the south.