By Dasha Afanasieva
Security risks, shoddy governance and black markets have propelled West African countries up the risk rankings of consultancy Maplecroft’s annual Global Risks Atlas, released today.
As the French continue to battle Mali rebels in the Sahara, how big is the risk of the trouble spreading to Mali’s already fragile neighbours?
According to Maplecroft, Mali is an example of how
the security situation in one country can significantly increase the risk of violence and instability in the surrounding region, with implications for the operations of foreign firms
Refugees fleeing the Malian conflict have added extra pressure to already-stretched food resources in next-door states and may add to tension, Maplecoft says. In fact, the estimated 30,000 people who returned to Mali from Libya because of the war there were
a key factor in prompting the Tuareg uprising and the subsequent coup and annexation of the north
