Known as the ‘pearl of the desert’, Timbuktu was a spiritual and intellectual capital in the 15th and 16th centuries - the home of mosques and libraries and commerce. For years its treasures drew tens of thousands of tourists each year. But now it’s a city under siege. Attacks on civilians have spiked. An Al Qaeda affiliated group announced a blockade of the city - and in September, a rocket attack on a passenger boat led to dozens of deaths and hundreds injured. This led to the cancellation of the boat service - previously seen as the only ‘safe’ form of travel in and out of Timbuktu. So what has caused this change? For Africa Daily Alan Kasujja speaks an analyst who monitors the levels of violence – and to a man who grew up in the city – but didn’t want to be named for fear of repercussions from the military government.