In this week’s issue of the magazine, Jon Lee Anderson writes about the West African nation of Mali. The country’s long history has been marked by the incursions of various conquerers. In the latest chapter, in early 2012, a group of radical Islamists affiliated with Al Qaeda took control of Mali’s northern half and declared it an independent state, called Azawad. They ruled under strict adherence to Sharia law, and imposed rules banning music and television and forcing men and women to wear conservative dress. Disobedience was punished harshly. Hundreds of thousands of Malians fled. In January, France intervened militarily and drove the Islamists out. Some semblance of normalcy has returned, though insurgents are still in hiding.

Earlier this year, Anderson travelled through Mali with the photographer Jehad Nga. The two went from Bamako, the capital, situated in the south, to Timbuktu, in the north. An exhibition of Nga’s photographs from Mali is on view at the Bonni Benrubi Gallery, through July 13th. Here’s a look:

Here is a selection of photographs from the show, which is on view at until August 9th. Click on the red arrows [#image: /photos/59096bf8019dfc3494ea17c9]for a full-screen view.





1 / 12 Chevron Chevron Abandoned fishing boats on the River Niger in Bamako, Mali’s capital. In the city, the life styles of past centuries coexist with those of the present day.

Photographs by Jehad Nga.