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International intervention in Mali is conducted on the basis of a dubious conceptual framework and an analytical grid that is insufficiently rigorous, namely the theory of the terrorist threat. An impressive military operation has been mobilized to counter this threat. This article argues that the importance and centrality given to counter-terrorist efforts undermines efforts to resolve Malian conflicts. In response to criticisms of counter-terrorism, the response has been to redouble efforts, through the creation of a joint G5 Sahel force and a growing foreign military presence in the Sahel-Sahara. Mali thus finds itself at the centre of debates on the future of peacekeeping and international military intervention. Ultimately, the result is a perpetual war stance that is seen as necessary to envisage any chance of peace and reconciliation