[Gordon Booth]

MargaretR, you really are a mine of misinformation.
Mali GDP- 39% agriculture, 39% services,22% industry(including mining).
Gold generates 56% of export value, 27% is agriculture, mainly cotton.
While gold mining is 80% of mining, it is not 80% of GDP.
Sources- various but probably all more reliable than yours.
Your post 3-'they may well be just disgruntled population'.
Your post 4-'Mali armed to fight al qaeda insurgents'- same source as post 3(afrol News).
Make your mind up!
As the stated aim of the insurgents is to impose Sharia Law on the whole of Mali I doubt if they are merely 'disgruntled population'.