This report, the first of three 5-minute films
made with Lindsey Hilsum for UK's Channel 4 News covers Mali, one of the
most culturally diverse countries on earth, now under threat from al
Qaeda.
In the North al Qaeda have driven out the struggling national army, seized their weapons and now fly the al Qaeda flag.


"We're frightened because there's no government we can trust to
protect us from the armed groups", says Maulud Ibrahim, a Tuareg
refugee.
"When we've conquered France, we'll come to the USA, we'll come to
London and conquer the whole world", says a military commander from the
local al Qaeda ally, Defenders of the Faith.
For Tiebile Drame, the former Foreign Minister, the situation is
getting serious. "The rest of the world should not stay just to look at
the situation, we should be helped unless they would like to see another
Somalia or another Afghanistan."
Filmed by Mike Goldwater


Footage from the north of Mali by local cameramen

part 2
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f3c_1346848573

part 3
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=961_1346851793