RICARDO RENE LATTEMONT

Mali was then virtually a failed state where some mid level military seized “control” but had no other objective than to stay in control with no vision of what the country should be. Meanwhile there were several tribal groups that wanted autonomy. International Islamists whose only interest was in instituting Sharia Law and groups of smugglers, kidnappers and other criminals. The military had insufficient skill and power to control the other factions. The political groups lacked enough common vision, military resources and skill or common ethnicity to control or to even defend themselves against the International Islamists who could take over areas of the country but became rapidly unpopular with the traditional secularist leaning Mali Muslims. French and Africa forces rolled back the International Islamists, and there were calls for elections among Americans and other Nations but Lattemont urged caution in relying on elections at this stage of development of a country.

Mali was then virtually a failed state where some mid level military seized “control” but had no other objective than to stay in control with no vision of what the country should be. Meanwhile there were several tribal groups that wanted autonomy. International Islamists whose only interest was in instituting Sharia Law and groups of smugglers, kidnappers and other criminals. The military had insufficient skill and power to control the other factions. The political groups lacked enough common vision, military resources and skill or common ethnicity to control or to even defend themselves against the International Islamists who could take over areas of the country but became rapidly unpopular with the traditional secularist leaning Mali Muslims. French and Africa forces rolled back the International Islamists, and there were calls for elections among Americans and other Nations but Lattemont urged caution in relying on elections at this stage of development of a country.