Residents in central Mali have sought refuge in neighboring Burkina Faso following a spike in inter-communal violence. According to the United Nations, over 3000 people have reportedly fled Mali.
Since February, dozens of people have been killed, and homes and other property destroyed as clashes between the Dogon and Peul communities have increased.
According to UNHCR spokesman William Spindler, “The new arrivals in Burkina Faso include 2,000 Malian citizens, as well as 1,000 Burkinabe who had been living in Mali for many years”. Most refugees are afraid to travel by road, for fear of kidnappings and murder, they arrived via unofficial border crossings, on foot or in light vehicles.
The new displacement adds to the challenges faced by people of the region. Before this latest influx, Burkina Faso had been hosting some 24,000 Malian refugees since the start of Mali’s conflict in 2012. The new arrivals are adding to the humanitarian needs of Burkina Faso, and to the strain of aid agencies trying to meet them.
