"NO REBELS HERE"

In January 2012 conflict broke out in northern Mali as ethnic Tuareg rebels rose up against the government based in Bamako. The conflict soon morphed into an islamist insurgency putting an end to the country's once thriving tourist industry. By late 2013 Mali's famous world-heritage sites were deserted, artisans locked up their workshops and restaurants went out of business, depriving thousands of their livelihoods.
​