As you see on this photo, there are strong contrasts between fertile and arid grounds. The people of northern Mali live in one of the toughest areas on earth: the Sahara and Sahelian region. They have always faced the harshest of conditions, but developed mechanisms to cope with their environment, making the best possible use of scarce natural resources and living in a fine balance of trade and mutual dependence. Tuareg and Arab nomadic groups kept the salt trail — the backbone of the country’s economy — going by trekking with their camel trains hundreds of kilometres deep into the Sahara. There they collected salt slabs which they brought south and exchanged for cereals produced by the sedentary communities. The sedentary communities (Sonrhaï and Bozo), concentrated around the main water sources in the region, the Niger river, the network of swamps near Gao and the lakes to the north-west of the Niger’s loop through the north, cultivated the land and fished the waters.

A rebellion broke out in the early 1990s, in which armed groups from the north, feeling forgotten and abandoned by the capital city Bamako, fought government troops. (source: Red Cross - 2003).

A new rebellion just broke out, with very much the same roots. Now forced by modern arms from Libya. They want to cut off the North from the rest of Mali and create "Azawad". Please pray for our country. Pray that the very best solution of the problems in Northern Mali must be achieved. And that peace soon will return.

Wonderful and interesting pictures... ! ;o) congratulazioni borogovoi · 2012-02-29: 06:27

your work is excelllent slowpete · 2012-02-29: 07:16

love that first shot :) bumpusdogs · 2012-02-29: 08:55

Your photos are almost biblical in what they describe and in their appearance. Wonderful work. angil · 2012-02-29: 10:53

Amazing pictures ... And strong words in your comment - I use google-translator :) ... breizh · 2012-03-01: 15:54

Wonderful!!! His words reminded me of a psalm ... Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces. Psalms 122, v:8 Beautiful words and pictures also in my little pray I'll remember this people! ????? · 2012-03-06: 17:20