Uhulumeni wase-UK unxusa izivakashi ukuthi zingayivakashi iTimbuktu enyakatho neMali ngenxa yosongo lobuphekula.
Idolobhana elikude lifakiwe eselulekweni esibuyekeziwe sokuvakasha esikhishwe Ihhovisi Lezangaphandle.
Isivakashi saseBrithani, u-Edwin Dyer, wabulawa eMali ngoJuni yiqembu elizitshela ukuthi lihlobene ne-al-Qaeda.
Kodwa izikhulu zendawo zithi lolu songo luyihaba. Bathi izexwayiso ezifuze lezi sezinomthelela omubi embonini yezokuvakasha.
Indawo ewudedangendlale yeSahara Desert manje isisetshenziswa njengendawo yokucasha enani elincane lamasosha avela eqenjini elaziwa nge-al-Qaeda e-Islamic Maghreb.
Ezinyangeni ezedlule bathumbe abantu baseNtshonalanga abambalwa ukuze bahlengwe - kwesinye isikhathi bababambe emazweni angaphandle babayise eMali - futhi balwa izimpi nohulumeni kanye namasosha.
Evakashele kulesi sifunda, uNgqongqoshe weHhovisi lezangaPhandle u-Ivan Lewis uthe kunengozi enkulu yokuthi isimo sezokuphepha singase sibe sibi.
"Kufanele sibhekane nalokhu ngezindlela eziningi," esho.
“Siyazi ukuthi i-al-Qaeda ibheke ukusabalalisa imisebenzi yayo ezindaweni ekholelwa ukuthi ukuphepha kombuso akwanele futhi kuntekenteke, futhi abantu bampofu.
“Ifuna ukukhanga abantu futhi iqale inikeze inhlalakahle. [Kudingeka sihlanganise] ukuphepha nentuthuko.”
Kodwa emigwaqweni egcwele ubuthongo, enesihlabathi saseTimbuktu, abantu baphikelela ngokuthi usongo luyihaba.
Bathi izigameko eziningi zenzeke kude nedolobha uqobo.
"Siphephe futhi sinokuthula," kusho umbusi wesifunda uCol Mamadou Mangara.
Kodwa wanezela: “Uma usongo lungokoqobo, khona-ke imibuso emikhulu yomhlaba inomsebenzi woku... isinikeze indlela yokulwa nayo ngaphambi kokuba kwephuze kakhulu.
“Siyizwe elimpofu futhi iSahara inkulu. Sidinga izimoto, imishini.”
I-US isivele isiphendulile nge-Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership - uhlelo lweminyaka emihlanu, $500m oluqondiswe emazweni ayisishiyagalolunye ase-Afrika.
Kodwa umbusi wesifunda uthi ubumpofu, hhayi ubuphekula, buyisongo esikhulu.
Futhi izikhulu zendawo zithi izeluleko zohambo ezingezinhle zikhulisa ubumpofu.
UCol Mangara uthe bangu-7,203 abavakashi abavakashela leli dolobha ngo-2008, kodwa bangu-3,700 kuphela phakathi kukaJanuwari no-Okthoba 2009.
Kwenziwa umkhosi oyisipesheli ngenyanga ezayo ngethemba lokukhuthaza izivakashi.
Isenzo sase-US
Ihhovisi Lezangaphandle lithi usongo lobuphekula, kanye nokuthumba, manje seluphezulu eTimbuktu. Abahambi bayanxuswa ukuthi bagweme yonke inyakatho yeMali.
