Mali: the noose loosens in Farabougou

A Malian soldier.

(Illutsration image) 9. REUTERS / Benoit Tessier

Text by: David Baché

3 min

In Mali, the Niono forum on intercommunity reconciliation ended this weekend after three days of work.

Four ministers had come from Bamako to this locality in the center of the country in order to put an end to the violence which has plagued the localities in the area for weeks.

The case of the village of Farabougou, surrounded for more than a month by jihadist fighters against a backdrop of conflict between traditional Dozo hunters and the Fulani ethnic group, is the most striking example.

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The situation is improving in Farabougou

where Malian soldiers have reinforced their presence.

They are more numerous, and above all they arrived by road.

Until now, Malian soldiers had only been able to access Farabougou by helicopter; they secured the village without venturing outside.

But since Friday evening, they circulate around Farabougou, they carry out patrols in the bush.

Neither the Malian army nor the Ministry of Defense wished to provide details for the moment.

But several elected officials in the area confirm it and especially a resident of Farabougou confided to RFI this Monday morning by telephone: “ 

It reassures us, we can even go to the fields now.

 But this last nuance: " 

We are going to the peanut and bean fields which are nearby.

But we are not yet going to the rice fields which are further away.

 "

The road is still considered dangerous, the bridge which connects Farabougou to neighboring localities, destroyed three weeks ago by the jihadists, has still not been rebuilt, so the inhabitants of Farabougou are not yet completely free of their movement, even though that's obviously a significant improvement.

Malian soldiers are also providing medical assistance to residents, and the peacekeepers of Minsuma as well as the French soldiers of Barkhane have carried out food drops on the village during the weekend, and this Monday morning again.

A non-aggression pact

In the process, a non-aggression pact was concluded this weekend in Niono, where discussions for inter-community reconciliation were taking place.

It was concluded between traditional dozo hunters and representatives of the Fulani community of the Niono circle, during a meeting held on the sidelines of the Forum organized by the government.

The two parties undertake to cease all hostilities.

Are jihadist fighters, like those surrounding Farabougou, affected by this agreement?

Officially no, since they were not represented at this meeting, but several participants explain that the message is still transmitted by intermediaries.

It is now a question of seeing if, indeed, this is reflected on the ground, in Farabougou but also in the other communes of the circle.

For its part,

during this forum in Niono

, the State undertook to " 

disarm all illegal holders of weapons

 ", to " 

ensure the protection of persons and their property

 " and to " 

increase the number

of military

personnel.

inter-community consultation

 ”in the area.

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