The international community failed to anticipate the crisis in Mali for several reasons: (1) they had an outdated view of foreign policy based on past wars and conflicts rather than current dynamics; (2) they did not address the problems caused by colonial-era boundaries in Africa that undermine state stability; and (3) they did not recognize how global migration, such as the thousands of armed militants who left Libya for Mali, threatens security. To prevent future crises, new approaches are needed regarding foreign aid, resource revenue management, and institutions to manage regions divided by arbitrary colonial borders.