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West Africa and Sahel

Interview with a woman from the village of Eghachar, Timbuktu region

Hello dear lady, we will ask you four questions.

 1- How do you live with the occupation of armed groups, especially radical ones, in your village?

The jihadists are there, we don’t see them, we don’t know them, they are men according to our information who travel on motorbikes, and in scattered ranks. We have never been their target, especially women and children. For us women, the priority is to be safe when we go to the dispensary, our movements are without obstacles. That is the most important thing. The rest is of little concern to us, because it is a matter of national security. And we don’t understand anything about it.

2- Are you prevented from going to the neighbouring village where there is a health centre?

We are perfectly free to move around, we often go to the health centre on our backs or by camel when there is no car available. We can go to the health centre without any fear. Sometimes armed men stop us on the road to question our husbands, I cannot tell you what they are talking about because they always take our husbands aside to question them. Never in our presence.

3- Do you think that the presence of radical armed groups has no impact on the attendance of health centres?

No, to my knowledge, no one can complain about being arrested or prevented from going for treatment because of the Jihadists. They have nothing to do with women and children especially. They have great respect for women who respect the dress recommended by Islam. And the movement with her Mahrim i.e. her brother, her father or her husband.

4- Have you ever witnessed or heard of an act of violence committed by jihadists against a woman?

It is common for women who do not respect Islamic rules and principles to be subjected to an execution sentence, which is usually lashes, but personally I have never seen any in our village.

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