Why the war against jihadists in Mali is going badly

WHEN UN PEACEKEEPERS roll out into the sand and scrub beyond their bases in Gao in northern Mali, locals loosen veils and light cigarettes. When British peacekeepers camped near one village, people held a joyous wedding with dancing and singing, both of which had waned under the influence of the jihadists battling for control of the area. Outgunned by the British detachment, the insurgents “try to be where we are not”, says Major Gavin Hudson, one of its officers.In much of northern Mali the state and its security forces are completely absent. So when the blue helmets move on, safety goes with them. At dusk one evening in August jihadists swept into the town of Outtagouna, about 170km (106 miles) from Gao. They gunned down at least 54 young men. Peacekeepers arrived the next morning but, laments Major Hudson, they were too late to be of much use.