Middle East researcher: US, China's influence behind Mali case

Middle East and Africa researcher at International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) FuadFerhavi has said it was the increasing influence of USA and China in Mali behind French involvement in the country. Ferhavi talked about the Mali case at USAK in Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday, focusing on the historical roots, geo-political and geo-economic aspects of the conflicts in Mali. In the report that Ferhavi wrote about Mali crisis, he said there is strong rivalry between European countries and BRICS countries to get the control of energy, oil, and sea routes in African continent. He stated USA, China and Brazil are heading for Africa to have the control of those sources. According to the report, USA has increased its activities in Northern Africa in the last decade which shows USA's interest in the region. In addition, the failure of USA in educating Mali soldiers created an opportunity to European countries for interference in Mali. Referring to the abundance of uranium in the region, Ferhavi asserted that France had been trying to be the sole power in producing uranium for a long time. He said the uranium deposits discovered in Niger attracted attention into the region, as well. Touching on the various reasons of Mali crisis, Ferhavi said environmental factors such as drought, international embargo on Libya, and civil war in Algeria played a key role in the problems faced in Mali. He also added the shipping of illicit drugs from Latin America to Europe via Africa caused criminal and terror organizations to appear in the region.