From our reporter in Mopti – African Perceptions
In a remote village near Mopti, 38-year-old Fatoumata leans against a dry tree, cradling her one-year-old child. She whispers, “We fled in the night… we took nothing, only our lives and a few photos in a torn bag.”
Fatoumata is one of hundreds of families who escaped the violence of armed groups in Burkina Faso. Now, they search for shelter, food… and a flicker of hope.
Fleeing under terror
The regions of Mopti and Bandiagara in central Mali are witnessing a surge of displaced people crossing the border from Burkina Faso. Their testimonies tell of unspeakable brutality: burned homes, mass killings, entire villages erased overnight.
“They shot at anything that moved. I watched my neighbors die,” recounts Bamba, a man in his fifties who reached Mali on foot with his wife and seven children.
A strained host nation
Already grappling with its own crises, Mali hosts more than 100,000 refugees. With limited resources, newcomers end up in makeshift camps with no access to basic needs.
“No food, no medicine, our children sleep on bare ground,” Fatoumata adds, her eyes lost in the distance.
A regional crisis with deep roots
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been gripped by escalating violence from armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. Over 2 million people are displaced internally. The instability is now spilling over into neighboring Mali and Niger, threatening the whole Sahel.
A cry for help unheard?
Aid organizations and the UN have called for urgent international support. But funding is scarce, and time is running out.
“We just want peace, school for our children, and to live as human beings,” Fatoumata says.
Will the world hear her voice before it’s too late?
