Mali crisis: Key players

Mali is in the grip of an unprecedented political crisis, one of the most serious since the landlocked West African country gained independence from France in 1960. It was hit by a coup in March 2012 - and a rebellion in the north that has caused alarm around the world. The former colonial power has now deployed troops after an appeal from Mali's interim president. Here is a guide to some of the main players: The Islamist rebels The five main Islamists groups in Mali are Ansar Dine, Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (Mujao), al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Signed-in-Blood Battalion and the Islamic Movement for Azawad (IMA). Ansar Dine is seen as a home-grown...