Background Until the late 1980s, successive droughts in the north of the country aggravated competition for water and pasture lands among the populations. These tensions provoked an armed conflict which resulted in some 1,000 deaths and led to the flight of some 150,000 refugees between 1990 and 1994. The armed rebellion began in the northeast in the early 1990s. While the northwest region enjoys relative prosperity, thanks to the successful reintegration of returnees and implementation of development programmes, the regions of Kidal and, to a lesser extent, Gao remain isolated and vulnerable. The presence of bandits, who are often unemployed ex-combatants, discourages development initiatives and external support.
Projects focus on self-sufficiency and on water, health and education facilities.
Reinforcing social gains attained in exile Exile in Mauritania, Algeria, Burkina Faso and in the Niger has had a positive impact on the 135,000 returnees. The Bellas, former slaves of the Tuaregs, have been emancipated, children received an education, and women have become more involved in the community. These gains should be preserved in the new settlements in Mali. If returnee communities in Gao and Kidal are not given assistance to support their self-sufficiency and promote reconciliation, the tensions that resulted in armed conflict in the early 1990s could recur. The budget includes costs in Mali and at Headquarters.