Although 90 percent Muslim, Mali is a racially diverse country consisting of ethnic Manday, Songhai, Tuareg, Fulani and descendants of Arabs.<br /><br />The Bambara are ethnically black African and make up nearly half the population, dominating the army ranks. Ten percent of Malians are Tuareg, living mainly in the north.<br /><br />A Tuareg rebellion last year led to a military coup, sparking the latest conflict. Thousands of Tuareg refugees have escaped into neighbouring countries and fear the Bambara will take revenge on them.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow reports on the Tuaregs in camps in Mauritania.
