Newscasts - Military overtones vibrate through Mali's renowned arts festival

TATA Health International Holdings

14/02/2025 15:52

Click the following link to watch video: https://share.newscasts.refinitiv.com/link?entryId=1_bs70jljo&referenceId=tag:reuters.com,2025:newsml_RW144814022025RP1_K15&pageId=Newscasts
Source: 'Reuters - General news videos'

Description: Thousands of people from Mali and elsewhere flock to the town of
Segou, 230 km (143 miles) northeast of the capital Bamako, every February, for
a week-long showcase of Malian music, visual art, theatre and dance. But the
Malian arts scene is threatened by jihadist activity. Lucy Fielder has more.
Short Link: https://refini.tv/41gWCGQ

Video Transcript:

Tens of thousands of people this week flocked to the Malian town of Segou for
a week-long celebration of music, art, theater, and dance. It's an annual
event, but this time around the Festival sur le Niger has kicked off against
the backdrop of uncertainty and a shifting political landscape. Just days
before the festival, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger formally left ECOWAS. The
West African political and economic bloc had been urging the three neighboring
countries to return to democratic rule. And uncertainty remains over when
Mali's military junta will make good on its vow to organize elections. The
three countries have announced a new confederation known as the Alliance of
Sahel States or AES and authorities dub this year's festival as the Week of
AES Fraternity. Portraits of the three junta leaders were splashed on posters
throughout the grounds. Mamou Daffe is Mali's Culture Minister.

You are aware of the current context of our country. For over a decade, we
have been facing a crisis. Our department, in its overall vision, works across
all regions to promote diversity, social cohesion, and coexistence.

Mali is a renowned hub of culture in the region. However, that vibrant scene
is under threat. Mali and its neighbours have been battling jihadist groups
linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda for more than a decade. That's in
addition to a longer history of Tuareg-led rebellion in Mali's north. Another
of Mali's festivals, the Festival in the Desert outside Timbuktu, once
attracted thousands of visitors but it has not been held since 2012 when
jihadists entered the ancient city. At the festival, artist Mamadou Thienta
has created an installation featuring repaired calabash containers.

I observed that joining two cracked parts of a calabash or stitching together
several fragments symbolizes gathering and unity, which directly relates to
reconciliation. Today, in Africa, we dream of understanding, peace, and
reconciliation