Mali
Mali or Mali, whose full name is Republic of Mali (French: République du Mali), is a landlocked state located in West Africa, whose capital is the city of Bamako.
It is the eighth largest country in Africa and borders Algeria to the north, Niger to the east, Mauritania and Senegal to the west, and Ivory Coast, Guinea and Burkina Faso to the south. Its size is 1,240,192 km² and its estimated population is around 20 million (2021). Its capital and most populous city is Bamako.
Constituted by eight regions, Mali has its northern borders in the middle of the Sahara desert, while the southern region, where most of its inhabitants live, is close to the Niger and Senegal rivers. The economic structure of the country is centered on agriculture and fishing. Despite the fact that some of its natural resources are gold, uranium and salt.
Malian territory was home to the three West African empires that controlled trans-Saharan trade: the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire (from which Mali takes its name), and the Songhay Empire. At the end of the 19th century, Mali fell under the control of France, becoming part of French Sudan. In 1959 it achieved its independence along with Senegal, thus becoming the Mali Federation, which would disintegrate a year later. After a time when there was only one political party, a coup in 1991 led to the drafting of a new constitution and the establishment of Mali as a democratic nation with a multi-party system.
On August 18, 2020, the nation's president and prime minister were arrested by the military after a riot stemming from protests over continued economic hardship and the worsening national security situation. The next day they resigned.
History
In ancient times, the territory of present-day Mali was home to the three great West African empires that controlled the trans-Saharan trade in salt, gold, and other precious commodities. These Sahelian kingdoms lacked both geopolitical boundaries and ethnic identities The first of these empires was the Ghana Empire, founded by the Soninké, a Mandé-speaking people. The kingdom expanded across West Africa from the VIII until 1078, when it was conquered by the Almoravids.
Subsequently, the Mali Empire was formed on the upper reaches of the Niger River, reaching its maximum power in the 14th century . At the time of the Mali empire, the ancient cities of Yenne and Timbuktu were important centers of Islamic learning and trade. The empire subsequently declined as a result of internal conflicts and was eventually replaced by the Songhai. The Songhai people are native to present-day northwestern Nigeria, whose empire had long been a West African power under the control of the Mali empire.
In the late 14th century century, the Songhay Empire gradually gained independence from the Mali Empire, eventually encompassing the eastern region of this empire. Its fall was the result of the Berber invasion of 1591 and marked the end of the regional function as a commercial crossroads. After the establishment of sea routes by the European powers, the trans-Saharan trade routes lost their importance.
In the colonial era, the region fell under French control at the end of the 19th century. Around 1905, the Most of the area was dominated by France, whose territory was called French Sudan. In early 1959, Mali (then the Sudanese Republic) and Senegal joined to form the Federation of Mali, which gained its independence from France on 20 Senegalese withdrawal from the federation in August 1960 allowed the former Sudanese Republic to create the independent nation of Mali on September 22, 1960. Modibo Keita, who was head of government of the Federation of Mali until his dissolution, he was elected first president. Keita established a one-party state, adopting an independent Africanist and socialist orientation with strong ties to the Soviet Union, and carried out extensive nationalization of economic resources.
In 1968, as a result of increasing economic decline, Keita was overthrown in a military coup led by Moussa Traoré. The subsequent military regime, with Traoré as president, sought to reform the economy. Despite this, his efforts were frustrated by political turmoil and a devastating drought between 1968 and 1974. The Traoré regime faced student riots that began in the late 1970s, as well as three attempted coups. However, dissidents were suppressed until the end of the 1980s.
The government continued to try to implement economic reforms, but its popularity among the population increasingly waned. In response to growing demands for a multi-party democracy, Traoré consented to limited political liberalization, but refused to establish a full democratic system. In 1990, opposition movements began to emerge but the process was interfered with by the increase in ethnic violence in the north of the country due to the return of many Tuaregs to Mali. Anti-government protests in 1991 led to a coup of State, followed by a transitional government and the drafting of a new constitution. In 1992, Alpha Oumar Konaré won the country's first democratic presidential election. After his re-election in 1997, President Konaré promoted political and economic reforms and fought against corruption. In 2002, he was succeeded by Amadou Toumani Touré, a retired general who led the coup against the military and imposed democracy in 1991.
Coup in 2012 and Tuareg and jihadist offensive
On March 21, 2012, a group of soldiers overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré with a new coup; The military coup leaders, who justified their action by the insufficient support of Touré and his government for the military in their fight against the Tuareg separatists in the north of the country, closed the country's borders and formed a military government junta. However, soldiers loyal to Touré affirmed that he was in a military base accompanied by members of the elite unit of the presidential guard, known as the "Red Berets" trying to resist the military coup. After the coup, the Tuareg They were seizing several cities in the north of the country and gaining positions, taking advantage of the power vacuum and on April 6, 2012, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) unilaterally proclaimed the secession of the Azawad region. On the same April 6, the National Commission for the Recovery of Democracy and Restoration of the State was organized, which issued a new constitutional charter for holding presidential elections after forty days. Sanogo accepted his resignation to clear the way for the elections and Dioncounda Traoré as president of the senate provisionally assumed the presidency of Mali on 12 April. The escalation of the conflict in Mali caused the displacement of thousands of refugees in areas affected by famine in neighboring countries: Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger or Algeria. On May 26, after the merger of the two Tuareg groups MNLA and the Islamist Ansar Dine who agreed to form a joint government and convene a consultative assembly or "shura", the self-styled "Islamic State of Azawad" where sharia would be the "source of law". However, some later reports indicated that the MNLA had decided to withdraw from the pact, distancing itself from Ansar Dine. in the Battle of Gao on June 27, in which the Islamist group Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa and Ansar Dine take control of the city, driving out the MNLA. The next day, Ansar Dine announced that it had all the cities in northern Mali under its control. In January 2013, a military intervention by France (Operation Serval) began to stop the expansion of Islamic rebels in the north of the country. In February 2014, the G5 of the Sahel was created, of which Mali is a part. In August of the same year, Serval became Operation Barkhane, which will continue in 2020 with more than 5,000 soldiers in the Sahel area.
In 2015, a peace agreement was signed that failed to restore stability to the country. The violence spread to the center of the country with the recruitment of Fulani by jihadist groups, in conflict with the Bambara ethnic group who are farmers and the Dogon ethnic group dedicated to hunting. A turning point came in March 2019 with the massacre of 160 people in Ogossagou, mostly Fulani civilians. The massacre was attributed to Dogon militias, specifically the self-defense group Dan Na Ambassagou. The government of Mali then demands the dissolution of these militias, which has not been complied with. Operation Barkhane to combat terrorist groups in the area.
Coups in Mali in 2020 and 2021 and transitional government
In 2020, the management carried out by President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in relation to the security situation and political management was increasingly questioned, giving rise to increasingly frequent street protests led by a heterogeneous coalition of political religious leaders and civil society called the June 5 Movement.
In August 2020, a group of young people from the Malian Armed Forces carried out a military uprising. The process led to the election in September 2020 of an interim president, Ba N'Daou, the leader of the coup Colonel Assimi Goita assumed the vice-presidency of the country and the diplomat Moctar Ouane the post of prime minister, with a government that was committed to developing a transition. In security matters, the presence of French forces on the the terrain -according to reports, the years of presence have not managed to curb the presence of jihadist groups- and the population is increasingly affected by violence. In April 2021, the Citizen Coalition for the Sahel created in July 2020 published the report "Sahel: Ce qui doit changer" that claims to situate the protection of the civilian population in the response to the Sahel crisis. One of the controversial aspects is the dialogue "with all the actors in the crisis" which would include armed groups. "Zero tolerance" for human rights violations committed by security forces.
In May 2021, a new coup d'état took place, led by the until then vice president Assimi Goita.
Government and politics
Mali is a constitutional democracy governed by the constitution of January 12, 1992, which was revised in 1999. The constitution establishes a division of powers between the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. The system of government can be described as semi-presidential.
The executive branch is represented by the president, who rules for a five-year term and is limited to two terms. The president also acts as head of state and commander-in-chief of the Malian Armed Forces. The Prime Minister, appointed by the President, exercises the role of head of government and in turn appoints the members of the Council of Ministers. The unicameral National Assembly is the only legislative body in Mali and is made up of 160 deputies elected to a 5-year term. After the 2007 elections, the Alliance for Democracy and Progress won 113 of the 160 seats in the assembly. The assembly holds two regular sessions each year, during which decisions are debated and voted on. legislation introduced by a member or by the government.
Mali's constitution provides for judicial independence, but the executive branch exercises influence over the judiciary by virtue of its power to appoint judges and oversee both judicial functions and law enforcement. hierarchy are the Supreme Court, which has judicial and administrative powers, and an independent Constitutional Court which provides jurisdictional control of legislative acts and serves as an electoral arbitrator. There are several lower courts, although village chiefs and elders are in charge. to resolve local conflicts in the villages.
Foreign Relations and Armed Forces
Following independence in 1960, Mali followed the path of socialism and was ideologically aligned with the communist bloc, but over time its foreign relations policy has become increasingly pro-Western. With a democratic form of government in 2002, relations with the West in general, and with the United States in particular, have improved significantly. The country has a long-standing but ambivalent relationship with France, a former colonial power.
It is active in regional organizations such as the African Union. One of the main goals of Malian foreign relations policy is to work to control and resolve regional conflicts in countries such as the Ivory Coast, Liberia and Sierra Leone. It feels threatened by the potential for conflict to spread to neighboring states, and its relations with them are often reticent. General insecurity around northern borders, including banditry and cross-border terrorism, is a worrying issue in regional relations..
The Malian Armed Forces are made up of the land forces and the air force, as well as the paramilitary Gendarmerie and the Republican Guard, all of which are under the control of the Ministry of Defense and Veterans, commanded by a civilian. they are poorly paid, poorly equipped and subject to a rationing regime.
The organization of the army was modified with the incorporation of Tuareg irregular forces into the army following an agreement signed in 1992 between the government and Tuareg rebel forces. The military has not influenced national politics since the democratic transition of 1992. But keep in mind that the former president, Amadou Toumani Touré, was a former army general and reportedly enjoyed widespread military support. During the 2003 annual human rights report, the US State Department Unidos described civilian control of security forces as effective, but noted some "cases in which security elements acted without permission from government authority". However, on March 22, 2012, the Malian military carried out a coup, dissolved the institutions and assumed control of the country, alleging a lack of firmness by the government to combat the Tuareg insurrection in the country since January 2012. Cheick Modibo Diarra, Mali's transitional prime minister, was arrested by the soldiers who participated in the coup last March, led by military officer Amadou Haya Sanogo. After his arrest, Modibo Diarra submitted his resignation and that of his entire government team.
On August 18, 2020, the military forces carry out a new coup. Faced with this situation, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, who has held office since 2013, resigns and dissolves Parliament. The arrest of the president and his prime minister Boubou Cisse by the military forces was criticized by the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, France and the United States, however, the coup had popular support in the streets. The military forces established the National Committee for the Salvation of the People and announced the holding of new elections.
Human Rights
In terms of human rights, regarding membership of the seven bodies of the International Bill of Human Rights, which include the Human Rights Committee (HRC), Mali has signed or ratified:
 Mali | International treaties | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CESCR | CCPR | CERD | CED | CEDAW | CAT | CRC | MWC | CRPD | |||||||||
| CESCR | CESCR-OP | CCPR | CCPR-OP1 | CCPR-OP2-DP | CEDAW | CEDAW-OP | CAT | CAT-OP | CRC | CRC-OP-AC | CRC-OP-SC | CRPD | CRPD-OP | ||||
| Pertenence |   |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 Signed and ratified,  signed, but not ratified,  neither signed nor ratified,  without information,  it has agreed to sign and ratify the body concerned, but also recognizes the competence to receive and process individual communications from the competent bodies. | |||||||||||||||||
Status of major international human rights instruments
Territorial organization
Mali is divided into eight administrative regions and one district. These divisions are named after the main city of each zone. The three northern regions, Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu, account for two thirds of the country's area, with only 10% of its population. The south of the country is divided into the regions of Kayes, Kulikoró, Mopti, Segú, Sikasso and the district of Bamako.
Currently, a decentralization reform is underway, whose objective is the transfer of powers to the administrative collectivities so that local interests are managed as closely as possible to the population. This reform wants to end the territorial division inherited from colonization. It consists of a process of popular consultation that has allowed the creation of communes, which bring together various towns and fractions of territory following well-defined criteria.
There are 703 communes in Mali, of which 684 were created in 1996. A 1999 law confirms this administrative and territorial reorganization, with the creation of circles (regrouping of several communes) and regions (regrouping of circles).
The Malian government created a national directorate for territorial communities within the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Local Communities (MATCL). This institution is in charge of monitoring and implementing decentralization and strengthening territorial collective capacities, as well as technical support and financial support devices.
In 2005, in the context of national policy, a decentralization document was adopted for the years 2005-2014. It consists of four main axes: the development of collective human capacities, the decentralization of State services, citizenship and private provision of services at the local level. That same year, the eighth institution of the Republic of Mali was created, the High Council of Territorial Collectives, which ensures the national representation of territorial collectivities. Its purpose is to respond to issues that concern local and regional development, environmental protection and improvement of the quality of life of citizens within the territorial communities.
Geography
Mali is a landlocked state located in West Africa, southwest of Algeria. With an area of 1,240,192 square kilometers, it is ranked 24th on the list of countries by area, and its size is similar to that of South Africa and Angola. Most of the country is part of the south of the Sahara, making it hot and sandstorms commonly forming during the dry seasons. The country stretches southwest across the Sahel to the Sudanese savannah. The Malian territory is mostly flat, although sometimes this plain is interrupted by rocky hills. The Adrar of the Iforas is located in the northeast, and the most important reliefs are the Hombori Mountains —which exceed a thousand meters in altitude— to the southeast and the Bambouk and Manding Mountains, to the southwest.
The natural resources of this country are considerable, and gold, uranium, phosphates, kaolin, salt and limestone are the most exploited. Mali must face environmental problems such as desertification, deforestation, soil erosion, and polluted water.
Climate and environment
The country's climate ranges from subtropical in the south to arid in the north. Most of the country receives negligible rainfall, so droughts are frequent. The rainy season runs from late June to early June. December; In it, flooding from the Niger River is common.
The main biomes present in Mali are the desert, to the north, and the savannah, to the south. According to WWF, the main ecoregions of Mali are, from north to south:
- Desert of the Sahara
- Stage and savannah of southern Sahara
- Taste of Sahel acacias
- Western Sudanese savannah
In addition, the xeric forest of Western Sahara is present in the northern mountains (Adrar of the Iforas), and the flooded savannah of the interior Niger-Bani delta at the confluence of these two rivers, in the center of the country. In the north, the flora and fauna of Mali is distinctive of the desert climate: xerophytic plants, small shrubs, reptiles and some insects. Further south, thanks to the influence of the Niger River, the typical flora and fauna of the savannahs predominate with plants such as acacias and sericuras. In addition, in this area there is a greater diversity of animals, from birds and small mammals, to animals such as elephants.
Economy
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Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a fundamentally agricultural and informal economy. In Mali between 1992 and 1995, the government implemented an economic adjustment program that resulted in the growth of the economy and the reduction of negative balances. The plan increased economic and social conditions, and allowed it to join the World Trade Organization on May 31, 1995. Gross domestic product (GDP) has risen since then: by 2002 it was $3.4 million, and in 2005 it was increased to $5,800,000,000, resulting in an annual growth rate of approximately 17.6%.
The key to the Malian economy is agriculture. Cotton is the country's most exported crop, exported mainly to Senegal and the Ivory Coast. During 2002, 620,000 tons of cotton were produced, but prices for this crop decreased significantly since 2003. In addition to cotton, rice, millet, corn, vegetables, tobacco and tree crops are produced. Gold, cattle and agriculture account for 80% of exports. 80% of workers are employed in agriculture, while 15% are in the service sector. However, seasonal variations leave many of the agricultural workers without temporary employment.
In 1991, with help from the International Development Association, Mali relaxed enforcement of mining codes, leading to renewed interest and foreign investment in the mining industry. Gold is mined in the southern zone, which has the third highest gold production rate in Africa (after South Africa and Ghana). The emergence of gold as the main export commodity since 1999 helped mitigate the negative impact of the cotton and Costa Rican crises. de Marfil. Other natural resources are kaolin, salt, phosphate and limestone.
Electricity and water are maintained by Energie du Mali, or EDM, and textiles are produced by Industry Textile du Mali, or ITEMA. Mali makes efficient use of hydroelectricity, which provides more than half of its the country's electricity. In 2002, more than 700 kWh of hydroelectric power was generated.
The government encourages foreign investment, in the fields of trade and privatization. Mali began its economic reform by signing agreements in 1988 with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Between 1988 and 1996, the Malian government reformed much of the public companies. Since the agreement, sixteen companies have been privatized, twelve partially privatized and twenty liquidated. In 2005, the Malian government awarded a railway company to the American firm Savage Corporation. It is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).
Demographics
In 2018 its total population was estimated at 19,100,000 inhabitants, with an annual growth of 2.7%. The population is predominantly rural (68% in 2002), and between 5% and 10% are nomadic More than 90% of the population lives in the south of the country, especially in Bamako, the capital and the largest city of the country, with more than one million inhabitants.
In 2007, about 48% of Malians were under the age of 15, 49% between the ages of 15 and 64, and the remaining 3% 65 or older. The median age was 15.9 years. the birth rate in 2007 was 49.6 births per 1,000 inhabitants, and the fertility rate 7.4 births per woman. The crude death rate that same year was 16.5 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. life at birth is 49.5 years (47.6 for men and 51.5 for women). The country has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, with 106 deaths per 1,000 births..
The Malian population encompasses a large number of sub-Saharan ethnic groups, most of which have historical, cultural, linguistic and religious commonalities. The Bambara are by far the largest ethnic group, making up 36.5% of the population. Together, the Bambaras, Soninkes, Khassonkes and Malinkes (all part of the Mandé group) make up 50% of the population. Other significant groups are the Peul (17%), the Voltaic (12%), the Songhai (6%), and the Tuareg and Arabs (10%). Historically, Mali has enjoyed good inter-ethnic relations; however, there are tensions between the Songhai and the Tuareg.
The official language of Mali is French, but a large number (forty or more) of African languages are widely used by various ethnic groups. About 80% of Mali's population can communicate in Bambara, which is the main vehicular language and language of trade. In the north of the country (Azawad) the Songai languages and the Tuareg languages are demographically important.
Religion
80% of Malians are estimated to be Muslim and most of these are Sunni; approximately 10% of the population is Christian (two thirds of the Catholic Church and another third Protestant); the remaining 10% correspond to traditional or indigenous animist beliefs. Atheism and agnosticism are not very common among Malians, most of whom practice their religion daily.
According to the United States Department of State's annual report on religious freedom, the Islam practiced in the country can be considered moderate, tolerant, and adapted to local conditions. Women participate in economic, social, and political, and generally do not wear the burqa. The constitution states that Mali is a secular state and provides religious freedom, and the government largely respects this right. The relationship between Muslims and practitioners of religious minorities can be considered friendly and groups of foreign missionaries (both Muslim and non-Muslim) are tolerated. Christian holidays, like Muslim ones, are officially recognized and celebrated without any problem..
Education
Education is free and compulsory for nine grades, between the ages of seven and sixteen. The system covers six years of primary education, beginning at seven, followed by six years of secondary education. However, the primary school enrollment rate is low, largely because families do not have the necessary resources to cover the cost of uniforms, books, and other requirements necessary to attend classes. In the 2000-2001 school year, the primary school enrollment rate was 61% (71% for boys and 51% for girls); at the end of the 1990s, the number of students enrolled in secondary education was only 15% (20% in men and 10% in women). The educational system suffers from a lack of schools in rural areas, as well as from the scarcity of materials and teachers. Estimates reveal that between 27% and 46.4% of the inhabitants suffer from illiteracy, with a significant decrease in this percentage in women compared to men.
Health
Mali faces numerous health challenges related to poverty, malnutrition, hygiene and inadequate environmental sanitation. Mali's health and development indicators are among the worst in the world. In 2000, only 63% of the population had access to potable water and 69% to some type of sanitation service. In 2001, the sum of government spending on health averaged $4 per capita. Malian medical facilities are very limited and the availability of medicines is very scarce. Malaria and other diseases transmitted by arthropods are frequent in the country, as are the number of infectious diseases such as cholera and tuberculosis. The population also suffers from a high rate of child malnutrition and a low immunization rate. According to one estimate, that year 1.9% of the adult and child population were affected by HIV/AIDS, one of the lowest rates in Africa.
Main towns
Culture
Malian musical traditions derive from the griots (or Djeli), known as "Guardians of Memory", who perform the function of transmitting the history of their country. Mali's music is diverse and has different genres. Some influential musicians are Toumani Diabaté and Mamadou Diabaté, kora players, guitarist Ali Farka Touré, who combined traditional Malian music with blues, the Tuareg musical group called Tinariwen, Tamikrest and various Afropop artists such as Salif Keïta, the duo Amadou & Mariam, Oumou Sangaré and Habib Koité. Several of these artists have managed to succeed internationally, Salif Keïta being the great representative of Malian music abroad, mainly in Europe, where he performs quite frequently.
Although Malian literature is less well known than its music, Mali has always been one of Africa's most active intellectual centers. Malian literary tradition is spread mainly orally, with jalis reciting or singing stories from memory. Amadou Hampâté Bâ, its best-known historian, spent much of his life writing these stories for the world to preserve. The best-known novel by a Malian author is Le devoir de violence, written by Yambo Ouologuem, who won the 1968 Renaudot Prize, although his legacy was damaged by accusations of plagiarism. Other well-known writers include Baba Traoré, Modibo Sounkalo Keita, Massa Makan Diabaté, Moussa Konaté and Fily Dabo Sissoko.
The varied daily culture of Malians reflects the country's ethnic and geographic diversity. Most Malians wear colorful, flowing costumes called boubou, which are typical of West Africa. Malians frequently participate in traditional festivals, dances and celebrations. Rice and millet are important in Mali's cuisine, which is based mainly on cereal grains. The grains are usually prepared with sauces made from the leaves, such as of spinach or baobab, with tomato or peanut sauce, and may be accompanied by roast meat (typically chicken, lamb, beef and goat). Mali's cuisine varies regionally.
Festivities
| Date | Party (year 2010) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year | |
| 20 January | Army Day | |
| 26 March | Martyrs' Day | Falling from General Moussa Traoré's regime. |
| 1 May | Labour Day | |
| 25 May | Day of Africa | Establishment of the Organization of African Unity. |
| 22 September | Independence Day | Independence of France in 1960. |
| 25 December | Christmas | Birth of Jesus Christ. |
There are various Muslim festivities that vary in date each year, such as the Prophet's Birthday (Eid-Milad Nnabi), the Baptism of the Prophet (Maouloud), the end of of Ramadan and the Feast of the Lamb (Eid-ul-Adha), and Christian as Easter Monday.
Sports
The most popular sport in Mali is soccer, which has grown in importance since the country hosted the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. Most cities have regular competitions and the most popular national teams are the Djoliba AC, Stade Malien and Real Bamako, all located in the country's capital. Informal matches are often played by youngsters with rag balls as balls. The country has contributed several notable players to French teams, including to Seydou Keita and Jean Tigana. Frédéric "Fredi" Kanouté, named African Player of the Year 2007, who played in the Spanish Primera División, for the now retired Sevilla FC. Other players who were part of an important team in Spain are Mahamadou Diarra, captain of the Mali national team, former Real Madrid player and Seydou Keita for FC Barcelona. In addition, players from the country who participate in European teams are Mamady Sidibe for Stoke City Football Club, Mohamed Sissoko for Levante UD, Sammy Traoré for Paris Saint-Germain, Adama Coulibaly for AJ Auxerre, Kalifa Cissé and Jimmy Kébé for Reading Football Club, and Dramane Traoré for Lokomotiv Moscow. Basketball is another important sport in Mali; the women's basketball team, led by Hamchetou Maiga, a player for the Sacramento Monarchs, competed at the Beijing Olympics 2008. Wrestling (la lutte) is also a commonly practiced game, although its popularity has been declining in recent years. Oware, a variant of mancala, is also a common pastime.