Qatar's decision to engage in active politics after 2011 has seriously damaged its status as a mediator. Regional doubts soon spread about Doha's actions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayContinuing rumors about Qatar's participation in the Islamic conquest of northern Mali in 2012 have proven skeptical. In March 2012 the Malian government was overthrown in a military coup, after which rebels took over northern Mali and declared an independent state. The rebels were from the Tuareg ethnic group and many fought for Gaddafi in the Libyan armed forces in 2011. The rebels, who launched the MNLA, have gained strength and in late March took control of the three largest cities in northern Evils. However, divisions between the Azawad National Liberation Movement and the armed Islamic Group Ansar al-Din have weakened the insurgency and led to the loss of control of the region by supporters of the religion and other fundamentalist organizations, the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa. As the situation in northern Mali worsened throughout 2012, attention began to focus on the activities of a small Qatari Red Crescent group. Their activities were not evident. One member of the team said they had simply traveled to the city of Gao, in rebel-held territory, "to assess the area's humanitarian needs in terms of access to water and electricity." 59 The Qatar Red Crescent was the only humanitarian organization granted access to the north by Islamic separatists, and doubts about the group's work were soon met by greater concerns about Qatar's policy of supporting armed Islamic groups in Libya and Syria. The most insistent and persistent criticism of the Qatari state came in northern Mali from Algeria, whose relations with Qatar have deteriorated significantly since 2011, and from France, where Nicolas Sarkozy's departure from power suddenly cooled relations under the leadership of his successor, François Hollande. One of the French accusations indicates that Qatari special forces are training rebels associated with Deen's supporters, recalling their role in strengthening the Abdelhakim Belhadj Brigades in Tripoli. This information is said to have originated in a report published by the French Directorate of Military Intelligence, although no supporting evidence was provided. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The assumption that Qatar was associated with Deen's supporters was widespread. In an article appearing on CNN Global Public Square published by Fareed Zakaria in August 2012, "Qatar-backed debtors are believed to be debtors" without going into further detail. 61 after the launch of French-led military operations against Islamic rebels in Qatar. In northern Mali, in January 2013, he then attacked the leader of the socialist party in power in France, Harlem Desire, in Qatar, "a form of indulgence", adding: There is a non-cooperative attitude and it can be considered a form of tolerance towards terrorist groups. who occupied northern Mali. This position coming from Qatar is not natural. We need to clarify Qatar's policy, which has always denied any role in the financing of terrorist groups. At a diplomatic level, Qatar must adopt an increasingly stronger stance towards these groups that threaten the security of the Sahel.