Reinventing Cultural Resilience in Mali: Ahmad Baba al-Timbukti’s Intellectual Legacy and Youth Radicalization in the Timbuktu Security

Abstract

Since 2012, Mali—and particularly the city of Timbuktu—has experienced a protracted security crisis marked by the expansion of jihadist armed groups and sustained efforts to influence and radicalize youth. These dynamics have coincided with the marginalization of Maliki Islamic scholarship and the destruction of manuscript-based intellectual heritage. This article argues that the erosion of local religious and cultural knowledge systems has contributed to increased vulnerability to extremist narratives and that the rehabilitation of classical West African Islamic thought can function as a culturally grounded approach to counter-radicalization. Focusing on the writings of Ahmad Baba al-Timbukti (1556–1627), and in particular his treatise Miʿrāj al-suʿūd, the study examines how Maliki jurisprudence and scholarly discourse historically articulated religious authority, ethical norms, and social cohesion in the Sahel. Methodologically, the research combines historical and textual analysis of manuscripts with participatory and community-oriented practices, including

the digitization of selected texts, youth-centered non-formal educational activities, and facilitated local discussion forums. The findings suggest a strong relationship between cultural dispossession and susceptibility to radical ideological frames among youth. Conversely, the contemporary reintroduction of Ahmad Baba’s intellectual legacy appears to reinforce cultural self-recognition, strengthen critical engagement with religious discourse, and reduce the appeal of extremist interpretations. The article further demonstrates that collaborative governance involving state institutions, academic researchers, manuscript custodians, and youth organizations enhances both the legitimacy and sustainability of heritage-based interventions. The study concludes that intellectual heritage in Timbuktu should be understood not merely as a historical asset but as an active social resource with implications for security, identity formation, and resilience. By situating cultural rehabilitation within broader debates on human security and prevention of violent extremism, the article contributes to emerging scholarship on locally grounded responses to radicalization in the Sahel.