Mali: The Challenges After Intervention | Africa | Sahara

In “Sahara”, the three-part documentary series, Bram Vermeulen takes us on a perilous journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, through the scorching heat of the vast sand desert. He braves the dangers of the advancing jihadism, unravels the shocking world of slavery, exposes human trafficking and meets with the locals in one of the harshest environments on earth.

In the second episode, Vermeulen travels to Mali and visits the city of Timbuktu – a destination once considered a dream for every traveller daring enough to cross the Sahara. However, this city has fallen into the hands of Tuareg separatists and Ansar Dine Jihadists, leading to the destruction of ancient tombs and the imposition of a strict sharia regime. Amidst this chaos, we hear stories of survival and defiance from the people of Timbuktu, who are struggling to maintain their identity under such oppressive circumstances. “Sahara” presents a gripping and thought-provoking account of the realities of life in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth.