Communicating war in Mali, 2012

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

The Arab Spring raised high expectations for political freedom, especially for situations in which the rapid development of ICT intersects with political oppression and rebellion, as was the case in Mali, West Africa. In 2012 the country's northern part fell into the hands of rebels and jihadists were on the rise. This article tries to understand the development of political agency in relation to the unprecedented access to new ICT of the Fulani nomads and urbanites in the Mopti region (Hayre), who engage increasingly with new actors and networks present in the war zone: rebels and jihadists; the diaspora from that region; and the journalistic and academic communities who visit the region. We argue that political agency is emerging in the relation between (newly appearing) information networks in both the on- and off-line worlds. These networked societies are embedded in cultural and social historical specificities of the Sudan-Sahel zone in conflict.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of African Media Studies
Volume7
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)109-128
Number of pages20
ISSN2040-199X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Mali, Conflict, Media, West Africa, Networked Social Spaces, Political Agency, Azawad, ICT

ID: 201433653