Filmothèque

The Butcher

Timbuktu has been a city of commerce since its foundation in the 12th century, when it boomed thanks to trade in salt, gold, ivory and slaves. But commerce has all but ground to a halt now, because Tuareg and Arab livestock herders have fled for fear of being accused of collaborating with the Islamists and jihadists. Arabs also dominated other sectors of trade in Timbuktu, including wholesale shipments of staple foods and the retail sector. Now most of their shops lie looted and empty, a symptom, like the city's trashed banks and petrol stations, of the town's devastated economy.Insecurity over the past year also increased livestock mortality; theft and culling also rose.

Many herders left for neighbouring Mauritania. Humanitarians estimate that 1.3 million people are currently in need of food assistance in northern Mali, a situation exacerbated by severe restrictions at the border with Algeria, an important source of foodstuffs.Watch Trouble in Timbuktu as a multimedia special: http://www.irinnews.org/webspecial/mali/index.html#