by CHIAKA DOUMBIA
An ongoing insurgency of armed Islamist groups is affecting educational and research activities in the northern regions of Mali, particularly Timbuktu and Gao. Since August 2022, Timbuktu and Gao, two large cities in northern Mali, have been under a blockade imposed by the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM – le Groupe de Soutien à l’Islam et aux Musulmans), affiliated with al-Qaeda.
This, and the response by Mali’s armed forces, has restricted the movement of Mali citizens and legitimate visitors, impeding educational and research activities of higher education (HE) establishments in these two regions. They are also under curfew from 8pm-6am following decisions taken by their governors.
This has impacted the operations of the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research, in Timbuktu (IHERI-ABT – L’Institut des Hautes Etudes et de Recherches Islamiques Ahmed Baba de Tombouctou), created in 1973 following the recommendation of UNESCO.
The institute’s role includes prospecting, conservation, physical restoration and digital conservation of manuscripts; teaching of science and Islamic culture; and training Arabic language instructors.
It publishes research papers and a scientific journal titled Revue Sankoré. This is a reference to the famous Sankoré University, which, until a Moroccan attack in 1591, was regarded as “the best place for learning the Islamic religion with more than 25,000 students coming from various corners of the world”, according to an IHERI-ABT note. It was linked to the Sankoré mosque in Timbuktu, which still exists and where Koranic education of younger pupils continues.
Manuscripts lost in fire
The institute is still recovering from an attack by al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in 2012, opposed to all physical manifestations of faith. According to its general director, Dr Mohamed Diagayeté, the institute lost 4,203 manuscripts through a fire started by the insurrectionists who occupied the town between 2012 and 2013.
University World for more