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Mali Situation: Regional Situation Update, April - June 2019

Countries
Mali
+ 3 more
Sources
UNHCR
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An escalation of security incidents were reported in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali during the reporting period. This situation is impacting negatively on the protection environment for civilians and limiting activities of humanitarian actors as they have in recent weeks become significant targets. Despite the deployment of Malian forces and MINUSMA as part of Operation Oryx, the central region of Mali continues to be the subject of a disturbing combination of inter-communal conflict, criminality and attacks by armed groups. The porous borders with Burkina Faso and Niger and the difficulty for government forces to deploy in the adjacent areas have allowed many non-state actors (armed groups, militias, drug traffickers) to operate freely, thereby making travel by road precarious. According to security assessments, the prevailing insecurity and violence are likely to continue and will result in worsening levels of vulnerability among populations of concern and additional forced displacements. Since the last issue of the Mali situation report (January-March 2019), the number of persons of concern has increased by 23%.

KEY STATISTICS (AS OF 30 JUNE)

  • 139,994 Malian refugees in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger
  • 8,457 Burkinabe refugees in Mali
  • 438,935 Internally Displaced Persons in Burkina Faso (219,756 IDPs) and Mali (147,861 IDPs) and Niger (71,318 IDPs) sources: UNHCR and Governments

MAIN HIGHLIGHTS

  • In Mali, at least 95 people were confirmed dead and at least 19 missing following an attack on 10 June of SobaneKou, a village of on a rural Dogon community, ( Mopti region). Although no group has claimed responsibility, the Malian government has blamed "armed men suspected of being terrorists".
  • The Chair of UNHCR’s governing Executive Committee (Excom), Ambassador Boudjemaa Delmi, visited Mauritania (27-29 April) and Burkina Faso (1-4 May). In Mauritania’s Mbera camp, he met with some of 57,000 Malian refugees hosted there and in Burkina Faso, he met with Malian refugees in Goudoubo refugee camp. He was pleased to see the transition from humanitarian to development interventions, funded by the EU Trust Fund, in operations that continue to be underfunded. In both countries, Ambassador Delmi also met with auhtorites and key partners.
  • In Niger, on 26 April, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, undertook a mission to Diffa to evaluate the humanitarian situation linked to Boko Haram.