16 May 2018 | 01:16 AM UTC
Mali: Thousands flee violence in northern and central Mali
Outbreak of violence in northern and central Mali causes thousands to flee their homes in recent months
Event
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) reported that the ongoing violence in the Mopti region (central Mali) and Ménaka region (northern Mali) has caused thousands of people to flee their homes in recent months. In the Koro area of Mopti, hundreds of houses have been burned down and over 600 people have fled clashes in the villages of Anakila, Madougou-Peulh, and Alajina-Peulh. Since February 2018, clashes between armed groups in Ménaka have forced at least 1000 families from their homes, many originating from the Anderamboukane district.
On Monday, May 14, local authorities and humanitarian agencies began a distribution of emergency relief - including food, household items, and water purification tablets - to internally displaced people (IDPs) impacted by the violence.
Context
Fighting between the Fulani and Dogon communities has increased since February in Mali’s Mopti region. Clashes regularly break out between members of the pastoralist Fulani and agricultural Dogon ethnic groups over land disputes in central Mali. Rates of violence have increased over the past year as ever-scarcer resources make each group more desperate, reinforcing long-standing suspicion and hostility on all sides.
The pro-government Azawad Salvation Movement (MSA) and Gatia coalition have accused members of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) of being behind violence in Ménaka and northern Mali more generally, the ISGS has chiefly targeted Tuareg ethnic communities.
Due to the presence of these and various other armed groups, Mali's northern and central regions remain unstable despite a French-led intervention launched in 2013 that drove many extremists from their strongholds. France maintains approximately 4000 troops stationed throughout the Sahel, in addition to the presence of local military troops.
Advice
The security environment in Mali remains complex, particularly in the north and central regions. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.
