Birgit's picture of an unknown bird of prey surveying the land from my flambuoyant tree.
Mali is in serious trouble. The brief moment of euphoria for the many who supported the coup is rapidly vanishing as it becomes clear, not that the junta has no support, but that they have insufficient arms and hardly any ammunition and that they are virtually powerless in the face of the Touareg onslaught. Who can fight without ammunition? The army had no choice but to retreat and Kidal fell to the rebels. It appears also that I was misinformed, and that Tessalit is not recaptured but still in rebel hands. What happened to the arms and ammunition that ATT is supposed to have had in the Arsenal? Were there ever any? Was he himself aware that the Arsenal was empty? Or was it his generals only who were aware, having helped themselves instead to the funds for armaments? Would Captain Sanogo and his band even have attempted the Coup if they had known?

My journalist friend Levy is in despair. It is the lowest moment Mali has ever known he says.
What will happen? Noone knows. Meanwhile here in Djenne life continues just as usual. The salaries for all the Civil servants of Mali were paid today.
And as far as the library project goes, some good news in the middle of the disaster!
The sizeable chunk of money that was sent from London last Monday has arrived safely and the project goes ahead just as normal.