Mali – Ian Birrell

Singing songs in harmony

Published by The i paper (15th July, 2019) Fifteen years ago I travelled to the world’s most astonishing music festival, held in a Tuareg village 55 miles from the fabled […]

Africa / Mali / United States / World

As our narrative on Africa shrinks, the continent rises

Published by The i paper (15th January, 2018) For a brief moment Donald Trump sounded presidential on Friday as he signed a proclamation to mark the public holiday […]

Africa / Europe / France / Mali

Why Mali was attacked

Published by CapX (20th November, 2015) & The Independent (21st November, 2015) So here we go again. First the tragic slaughter of innocents in Paris, followed by that […]

Africa / Arts / Mali / Music

Kings of the desert

Published in The Independent (December 6th, 2013) Under the blistering midday sun, two young musicians shook hands. ‘Would you like to rap on a track I’ve done?’ asked […]

Africa / Aid / Drugs / Mali / Policy

Victims of the war on drugs

Published in The Guardian (July 27th, 2013) In Swindon a young man lies in hospital critically ill after taking a green pill stamped with a dollar sign. Last […]

Afghanistan / Africa / Aid / Mali / Politics / World

Save lives Mr Cameron, but don’t imagine you need to save Africa

Published in The Independent (February 2nd, 2013) This week, the Prime Minister went to Africa.Struggling to achieve anything at home thanks to the shaky state of her coalition, […]

Africa / Arts / Mali / Music

Music is vital to political struggle across Africa – not just in Mali

Published in The Observer (27th January, 2013) At dinner last month after a concert by the Congolese rapper Baloji, I found myself sitting next to his drummer, Saidou […]

Africa / Europe / France / Mali

How the West misread Mali

Published in The Guardian (January 25th, 2013) For 10 months the collapse was largely ignored by the west. A country seen as a model democracy imploded, with an army […]

Africa / Arts / Mali / Music

Musicians of Mali fight for their nation’s soul

Published in The Independent on Sunday (January 20th, 2013) The image of Mali has long been a gentle one. It is a land of magical music and mouth-watering […]

Africa / Arts / Mali / Music

Mali’s magical music

Published in The Guardian (January 18th, 2013) This week, the world has finally focused on the tragedy that has befallen Mali. It took bombing raids from French aircraft […]

Africa / Mali

Stop the march of these deadly extremists

Published in The Independent (January 14th, 2013) For centuries, Mopti has been one of the most important cities in the Sahel, the trading post where the Saharan desert […]

Africa / Mali

Africa’s Afghanistan

Published in The Spectator (July 13th, 2012) For centuries, the people of Timbuktu have sought guidance from their Sufi saints. They took pride in the mausoleums of these […]