This Thursday, April 15, ends the one-month period that Katiba Macina jihadists left to the Malian state in the matter of Farabougou. This village in central Malivit has been blocked for more than six months. On March 14, an agreement was reached with these jihadists linked to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, under the leadership of the High Islamic Council of Mali, mandated by the government. But the ceasefire agreement reached and enforced contains a precedent condition: the jihadists demand that the Malian soldiers stationed in the village leave the premises. And the deadline is therefore over.
Nionos agreement, which was found on March 14, put an end to more than six months of clashes, during which villagers were killed, cattle were stolen, fields burned, populations displaced …
Today, jihadists can preach with their weapons in the villages of the Niono circle, and women are forced to wear the veil in areas controlled by Katiba Macina. But the inhabitants can again go to their fields or to the cattle fairs without being attacked, neither by the jihadists nor by the traditional dozo hunters, with which the agreement was entered into.
Among the various terms of this agreement, the jihadists demand that the Malian soldiers stationed in the village of Farabougou leave. Moufa Haidara led the negotiations on behalf of the High Islamic Council. He requests that this requirement be heard:
“It did not stop Farabougou’s embargo. They are neighborhoods, they are in the city like the people. I believe that for the free movement of people, the state must think about it in order to avoid swimming. (…) May the Malian army leave Farabougou with intelligence so that peace can be consolidated. “
Whether they are Niono villagers who fear for their safety, or if political leaders in Bamako fear a very sensitive issue, most people prefer to speak out of the microphone. Some also appeal to preserve the ceasefire negotiated a month ago, but others believe Bamako must exercise its authority over the entire territory and refuse the jihadist. The decision lies with the highest authorities in the state.
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