New security measures have been adopted by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Goudoubo camp to allow 3,000 Malian refugees to return to where they had previously been allocated since 2012.

In fact, 9,000 Malian displaced people were living at Goudoubo until March when armed radical terrorists launched a series of brutal assaults on the camp and issued threats, causing the inhabitants to flee. Many strayed to the adjacent town of Dori, which until now is struggling  with desperate conditions that have affected the decent administration of protection, clean water and wellbeing. In any case, about 5,000 chose to go back to Mali, which is still in turmoil, where they obtained UNHCR help on entry.

Due to a lack of an adequate preparation and security coordination between the Sahel and Western countries, a fusion of radical Islamist bunches and separatists groups – mainly Ansar Eat, a partner of Al Qaeda and Tuareg separatists – was able to coordinate and seize some Sahelian cities. Ultimately, to help theremoval of the radicals, a different brigade, the unilateral French military intercession of eighteen months was needed. Mali remains the epicenter of Sahel viciousness, recording about  64 percent of the reported episodes of brutal violence within the region in 2018. However, Mali is additionally commendable for its efforts to identify the so-called violent extremist organizations (VEOs), eventhough intra-community clashes, the need for financial support and the indigent  administration continue to fuel the cycle of violence

Most of the 3,000 displaced Malians who returned to Goudoubo were transported from Dori in 31 caravans of buses and trucks, whereas 150 migrated on their vehicles. Others chose to walk, going with their cattle.

However, a small but bright ray of sunshine seems to appear. UNHCR and its contributors have restored and stocked up a health clinic within the camp, as well as essential and auxiliary schools, that are now prepared to revive and welcome students.

Schools reopening represent a great step towards the fight against child trafficking, as many Malian children will be enrolled and will therefore have less chances to be at risk of being trafficked due to uprooting. 

To know more, please read: 

https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2020/12/5fe088704/new-safety-measures-allow-malian-refugees-return-camp-burkina-faso.html 

https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1080522#:~:text=Some%209%2C000%20Malian%20refugees%20were%20living%20at%20Goudoubo,that%20affected%20shelter%2C%20clean%20water%20and%20health%20services. 

https://divergentoptions.org/2019/07/08/assessment-of-rising-extremism-in-the-central-sahel/#:~:text=In%20the%20absence%20of%20adequate%20training%20and%20security,were%20able%20to%20cooperate%20and%20seize%20several%20cities

Author: Benedetta Spizzichino; Editor: Eleonora Gonnelli