Paper short abstract:

The game "Muslim Mali" allowed gamers to shoot down French aircraft. In a context of military intervention, it reveals the tensions in Malian popular culture about the French ex-colonizer, the West and elites. This paper discuss this religious-security-post-colonial nexus through digital politics.

Paper long abstract:

Seen so far as a 'model of democracy', Mali was turned upside down by a coup d'Etat in 2012, revealing a growing social unrest driven by a rejection of the elites. The return from Libya of ex-combatants, the rebellion in the North, the rise of Islamist groups and the displacement of population amplified the instability. In this volatile context, the tensions in the North-Mali were translated into military issues, joining the "Global War on Terror" launched by the Bush administration. In September 2012, ECOWAS decided to send a military intervention with the support of France. If the progress of the French forces was first acclaimed, the stalemate of the situation gave way to anti-French sentiments. Meanwhile, in 2013, a game titled "Muslim Mali" was upload and allowed gamers to pilot a plane to shoot down French aircraft. Game-over pop-up text praised the dead player as a martyr to jihad. Compared to official narratives, this game blurred the line between the good and the bad. The game was also part of a strategy of recruitment in Mali but also in France. So it was a weapon in the war of media but also of human resources. Mocked by some Western media, this game reveals the contradictory tensions and emotions in Malian popular culture about the former French colonizer, the West and the ruling elites associated to the West. This paper discuss these issues by revisiting this religious-security-post-colonial nexus and the reconfiguration of power relations with the former metropolis through digital politics.