Mali: the question of dialogue with the jihadists continues to arise in Farabougou

Satellite image of the village of Farabougou, in central Mali.

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Text by: David Baché

3 min

In Mali, the situation is calm in Farabougou, a village in the center of the country, in the region of Ségou, where the Malian special forces entered at the end of last week after more than two weeks of jihadist blockade.

On the spot, local notables had undertaken a mediation with the jihadists who surrounded the village and who are still present in the surroundings.

This mediation came to a halt with the arrival of the Malian forces, but the mediators are nevertheless continuing their efforts.

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Direct contacts between the mediation team and the jihadist fighters have been suspended since the Malian soldiers gained a foothold in Farabougou.

However, local elected officials, traditional leaders and community and religious leaders in the area remain mobilized to obtain a final and peaceful settlement of the situation.

During the weekend, assemblies were held between these actors, from various localities in the area, who decided on new proposals.

In essence, according to several sources within this mediation, it is a question of confirming the lifting of the blockade imposed by the jihadists.

Despite the presence of Malian forces, the inhabitants of Farabougou still do not dare to leave the village.

It is also a question of obtaining the restitution of the stolen heads of cattle, in exchange for a commitment of the traditional dozo hunters of Farabougou not to take up arms.

Encourage discussions

These proposals must now be transmitted to the jihadists, which is proving complicated due to the presence of Malian forces in the area who are obviously wary of them.

But the vice-president of the Transition, Colonel Assimi Goita, who personally visited Farabougou at the end of last week, where he met religious and customary leaders, explained that he wanted to promote discussions in order to find " 

 ”described as“ 

 ”, the Malian army taking charge of the“ 

 ”.

Over the weekend, the military did not report any punching action.

The soldiers continue to protect Farabougou with, henceforth, " 

 " from Minusma, the United Nations Mission in the country, which has contributed to the transport of troops.

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