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African and world leaders say they will not let Mali become a terrorist safe haven, a failed state, a so-called "Afghanistan" in the Sahel. The U.N. Security Council has backed a regional military deployment to Mali next year to deal with an ongoing political crisis in the capital and help the Malian army retake the north from Islamist militants. Will 2013 be the year that Mali pulls back from the brink? If so, at what cost?

2012 was the year that armed men seized control of Mali. And their grip looks stronger than ever -- both in the north and the south.

Analysts say a military junta pulls the strings in the capital, Bamako. The soldiers, who mutinied and then overthrew the elected president on March 22, closed the year by forcing out the interim prime minister and his government in December.

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U.N. approves Africa force to fight al-Qaeda in Mali -- USA Today
UN authorises use of military force against Islamists in Mali -- The Guardian/Reuters
UN approves Mali force -- Deutsche Welle
UN agrees plan to oust extremists in Mali -- The Independent
France sees military intervention in Mali in six months -- Global Times/Xinhuanet
Mali Militants Seek Peace After UN Backs Force -- Time/AP
Rival Mali rebels agree to suspend fighting -- Al Jazeera
Mali Rebels Say to Stop Fighting, Slam U.N. Resolution -- Naharnet
We'll chop off more hands: Mali Islamists -- The Australian/AFP
Mali: Rising Ethnic Tensions Threaten New Violence -- Human Rights Watch
Aid Groups Warn of Humanitarian Risks of Mali Offensive -- Voice of America

Timbuktu mausoleums 'destroyed' -- BBC
Mali Islamists destroying historic mausoleums -- CBC/AP
Mali fighters destroy more Timbuktu tombs -- Al Jazeera
Mali Islamists Destroy More Timbuktu Mausoleums -- Voice of America
Reports: Mali Islamists Resume Destruction Of Timbuktu Mausoleums -- RTT
Mali Islamists destroying more Timbuktu mausoleums -- AFP

The UN Security Council has authorised an African-led military force to try to oust Islamists from northern Mali.

The council unanimously voted to give the force an initial one-year mandate.

The resolution also sets "benchmarks" for Mali, including political reconciliation and improved training for the military.

Armed groups, some linked to al-Qaeda, took control of northern Mali after a military coup in March and established a harsh form of Islamic law.

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UN approves military action to oust al-Qaida in Mali, but not before political progress -- Washington Post/AP
UN authorises use of military force against Islamists in Mali -- The Guardian
U.N. Council Votes to Help Mali’s Army Oust Islamists -- New York Times
UN Security Council Authorizes Foreign Troops to Mali -- Voice of America
UN Security Council Clears Force to Oust al-Qaeda in Mali -- Bloomberg Businessweek
U.N. Security Council authorizes military mission in Mali -- CNN
UN Security Council Authorizes Mali Force -- RIA Novosti
U.S.- and European-backed force will try to rebuild Mali’s military -- Washington Post
Mali’s Crisis: Is the Plan for Western Intervention ‘Crap’? -- Bruce Crumley, Time