📋 Tender Overview
Cattle rustling in Mali surged in 2021 and continues at unprecedented levels with the dominant perpetrators being violent extremist groups operating in the country.The scale of cattle rustling in Mali is the climax of a decade of growth of the practice and cattle rustling is now a central and under-reported element of the countrys security crisis variously as a driver of conflict as a governance and intimidation mechanism and as a key source of revenue for non-state armed groups. This has dramatic humanitarian social and economic effects on communities.This report assesses the intersection of the criminal economy of cattle rustling with Malis instability. To do this the report looks at the evolution of cattle rustling in Mali as well as its links with other illicit economies that have played central roles in the countrys war economy namely trafficking of small arms and other criminal economies such as kidnapping for ransom. It then focuses on understanding the political economy of cattle rustling the actors involved motivations and profits and the relationship between these actors and local communities with a focus on violent extremist groups governance of natural resources.The report describes the supply chain detailing the role of various actors the routes taken and the main secondary and exportation markets. Finally it focuses on local and national responses to cattle rustling and offers recommendations to both Malian authorities and international actors involved in stabilization efforts in the region.
