Since May 26, Burkinabè refugees have been pouring into the town of Koro in central Mali. Local authorities estimate that several thousand people have arrived.

These displaced individuals fled violence in their home region after jihadist armed groups issued threats.

“Two people arrived on a motorcycle. I think they were messengers. We were terrified,” recounts Hamsetou, speaking to reporters in Koro.

Hamsetou reached Koro with her daughter and other family members after armed groups passed through the village of Sia, in the Gomboro department of central Burkina Faso.

“They came on the day of our weekly market and ordered us to leave our village before sunrise,” the displaced woman adds. “So we fled at night, taking the road to hide in neighboring villages. The next day we took a taxi to Koro.”

“We left everything behind”

Hamsetou plans to settle in Koro until calm returns to her village. Besides Sia, the majority of people from Gani, Bouli, Kogan, Ganagoulo, and Kouéré have also fled violence and sought refuge in Mali. Nearly three-quarters of the refugees are women and children.

Oumou, a resident of Ganagoulo, explains that on May 26 she saw armed men heading toward the neighboring villages of Bouli and Gani: “They then came to our village and told us we would face the same fate. That’s when we decided to flee, leaving everything behind – our homes, our granaries, our animals. Some walked, others used tricycles, carts, or bicycles to reach Koro.”

Oumou finally made it to Koro with her husband and four children, all safe and sound.

According to Issa Sagara, the deputy mayor of Koro, the conditions for hosting, sheltering, and feeding the Burkinabè refugees remain precarious. He is therefore calling for a general mobilization. The refugees are currently scattered across several sites in the town and its surroundings.