For the most part, the war going on in Mali surprised everyone involved. Now it's gotten so bad that France, the U.S., and Canada are conducting military operations in an attempt to push Islamist fighters out.
Lesser known though is exactly how the once peaceful nation of Mali ended up in this position.
The short history below explains when Mali went from a pillar of stability, to a nation at war with itself:
Produced by Robert Libetti
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