Bono dances amongst the desert dunes
- 13 years ago
As the sand dunes started to get busy - Mali hoped for its desert festival to be back on the world music map.
However even the presence of mega star Bono in the West African country did not draw the numbers of previous years.
The 11-year-old event initially won international acclaim, but visitor numbers declined after a spate of Westerners were taken hostage by Al Qaeda across the region.
A visible military presence at the event - a constant reminder of the ongoing threat.
The trouble didn't put everyone off though:
(SOUNDBITE)(English) PAUL HIGGINS, CANADIAN TOURIST, SAYING:
"I think it was a good idea to come to the festival as a method of support for the people because they would definitely suffer as a result of the incident in Timbuktu."
Canadian Paul Higgins, was one of just 300 tourists who attended, a number well down on the thousand-plus of past years.
Local tribal chief Shinduk Mohamed Lamine hoped for a better turn-out.
(SOUNDBITE)(FRENCH) SHINDUK MOHAMED LAMINE, LOCAL TRIBAL CHIEF AND TOURIST GUIDE, SAYING:
"The local population turned up in their masses, but people were waiting to see more foreign tourists, spending (money) in the country, be it a little breakfast here, or a dinner there, spending a night at a hotel, or buying some local jewellery made by local artisans, who spend all year making their jewellery."
Despite the low attendance numbers, the 3,000 Malians and hand full of foreigners who were there made the most of the event.
Including a performance from U2 frontman Bono.
Under the cover of darkness this festival looks like any other.
And certainly it appears the recent unrest - was put to rest - at least for a few hours anyway.
Sarah Mills, Reuters
However even the presence of mega star Bono in the West African country did not draw the numbers of previous years.
The 11-year-old event initially won international acclaim, but visitor numbers declined after a spate of Westerners were taken hostage by Al Qaeda across the region.
A visible military presence at the event - a constant reminder of the ongoing threat.
The trouble didn't put everyone off though:
(SOUNDBITE)(English) PAUL HIGGINS, CANADIAN TOURIST, SAYING:
"I think it was a good idea to come to the festival as a method of support for the people because they would definitely suffer as a result of the incident in Timbuktu."
Canadian Paul Higgins, was one of just 300 tourists who attended, a number well down on the thousand-plus of past years.
Local tribal chief Shinduk Mohamed Lamine hoped for a better turn-out.
(SOUNDBITE)(FRENCH) SHINDUK MOHAMED LAMINE, LOCAL TRIBAL CHIEF AND TOURIST GUIDE, SAYING:
"The local population turned up in their masses, but people were waiting to see more foreign tourists, spending (money) in the country, be it a little breakfast here, or a dinner there, spending a night at a hotel, or buying some local jewellery made by local artisans, who spend all year making their jewellery."
Despite the low attendance numbers, the 3,000 Malians and hand full of foreigners who were there made the most of the event.
Including a performance from U2 frontman Bono.
Under the cover of darkness this festival looks like any other.
And certainly it appears the recent unrest - was put to rest - at least for a few hours anyway.
Sarah Mills, Reuters