Queuing to get into the annual festival in the historic Malian town of Segou, the only thing begging is the question ‘Crisis? What Crisis?’ The well-dressed Malian festival-goers chat blithely, radiant at the prospect of seeing the global Malian superstar Salif Keita play.
The security checks are perfunctory; hawkers hawk, but not too aggressively; the great Niger river dawdles lazily in the background under a softening almond sunset; the atmosphere is calm, cultured and welcoming. There’s little to suggest that this country has been living through a nightmare.
