Issued on: 27/04/2026 - 10:10Modified: 27/04/2026 - 10:13

Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Paul Melly, Consulting Fellow on the Africa Program at Chatham House. According to Melly, what we are witnessing is the convergence of multiple fractures: political, territorial, and military. The recent attacks illustrate a dramatic expansion of jihadist operational reach into the very heart of state power. While the Malian state might not be collapsing outright, its authority is stretched dangerously thin across Africa's 8th largest country. The withdrawal of int'l actors, combined with the limits of partnerships, has exposed structural vulnerabilities.

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