UNOG-NEWS Mali Violence armed groups - UNHCR 24JAN2023
/
2:12
/
MP4
/
297.8 MB

Edited News | UNHCR

Mali Violence armed groups - UNHCR 24 January 2023

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, called for enhanced support for those recently displaced in Mali, where continued violence and threats by armed groups have forced local Malians and refugees to flee for safety.

“Since the departure of Barkhane and the European troops there is a vacuum created by this departure”, said Mohamed Toure, UNHCR’s Mali representative when speaking at a press briefing today at the United Nations in Geneva. “In this vacuum right now, we don’t have any state authorities in that region, so it is really left in the hands of armed groups, terrorist armed groups, that are really spreading terror, spreading killings, spreading rapes, creating misery”.

Operation Barkhane was an anti-insurgent operation that started on 1 August 2014 and formally ended on 9 November 2022. It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region.

The operation was led in co-operation with five countries that span the Sahel: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. France began withdrawing its troops from Mali on 17 February 2022.

According to UNCHR’s Mohamed Toure, ”we are just noticing people who are coming in masses in this region, including refugees who have been displaced for quite a long number of years, of time, in those regions. Those are the same refugees coming out again in the different regions”.

Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal are some of the towns to which the refugees are currently fleeing to seek for security. UNHCR and its partners are supporting local authorities in responding to the needs of forcibly displaced families and providing them with emergency shelter, education, food and water supply and cash assistance aimed at economic empowerment.

”We are talking about almost half a million people who are in need of assistance in terms of displacement”, said UNHCR’s Mali representative. “Of course, beyond that, in Mali we have almost 3 million people who are in need of humanitarian assistance and only 38% of the assistance requested was gathered last year in order to secure assistance of protection to IDP’s and refugees”.

As of 31 December 2022, so UNHCR, Mali hosted more than 60.000 refugees, including 25,000 from Burkina Faso. Meanwhile, some 440,000 Malians remain internally displace due to continued violence and threats from armed groups coming from different backgrounds.

”We have often times testimonies from refugees, or testimonies from IDP’s noting that they have been in touch, or they have seen on the scene those groups that can be conceived as not Malian troops, but as foreign troops involved in those conflicts.

As the needs of the displaced remain enormous, UNHCR is appealing to the international community to show greater solidarity for the displaced in Mali and in neighboring countries to be able to continue to deliver life-saving assistance.

”Unfortunately”, so Mr. Toure, “this kind of Mali fatigue, if I can call it that way, and we are really seeing that kind of diminishing drastically of the assistance provided to IDP’s and refugees”.

-ends-

  1. Wide shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
  2. Medium shot, press room with journalists and panel of speakers
  3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Mohamed Toure, UNHCR’s Mali representative: “Since the departure of Barkhane and the European troops there is a vacuum created by this departure. In this vacuum right now, we don’t have any state authorities in that region so it really left in the hands of armed groups, terrorist armed groups that are really spreading terror, spreading killings, spreading rapes, creating misery”.
  4. Medium shot, journalists listening
  5. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Mohamed Toure, UNHCR’s Mali representative:” Right now we are just noticing people who are coming in masses in this region, including refugees who have been displaced for quite a long numbers of years, of time, in those regions. Those are the same refugees coming out again in the different regions”.
  6. Medium shot, journalists typing in front of screen with speaker
  7. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Mohamed Toure, UNHCR’s Mali representative:” We are talking about almost half a million people who are in need of assistance in terms of displacement. Of course, beyond that, in Mali we have almost 3 million people who are in need of humanitarian assistance and only 38% of the assistance requested was gathered last year in order to secure assistance of protection to IDP’s and refugees”.
  8. Medium shot, journalists with spokespersons on podium and camerawoman
  9. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Mohamed Toure, UNHCR’s Mali representative:” We have often times testimonies from refugees, or testimonies from IDP’s noting that they have been in touch, or they have seen on the scene those groups that can be conceived as not Malian troops, but as foreign troops involved in those conflicts.
  10. Wide shot, spokespeople on podium
  11. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Mohamed Toure, UNHCR’s Mali representative:” Unfortunately this kind of Mali fatigue, if I can call it that way, and we are really seeing that kind of diminishing drastically of the assistance provided to IDP’s and refugees”.
  12. Close-up, journalists listening.
  13. Close-up, speakers on screens
  14. Medium shot, journalists in press room

Similar Stories

DRC  UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu   Ravina Shamdasani UN Human Rights Spokesperson

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

DRC UN report raises spectre of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu Ravina Shamdasani UN Human Rights Spokesperson ENG FRA

A UN report on the Democratic Republic of Congo raises specter of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu, according to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.

Global air pollution update - WMO 04 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WMO

Global air pollution update - WMO 04 September 2025 ENG FRA

As billions of people continue to breathe polluted air that causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths every year, UN climate experts on Friday highlighted how damaging microscopic smoke particles from wildfires play their part, travelling half-way across the world.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Cameroon

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Cameroon ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence made the following comment on the on-going presidential election process in Cameroon at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva. 

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Myanmar

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Myanmar ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office released a new report on Myanmar, describing death, destruction and desperation which reflect atrocities committed in 2017. 

Afghanistan earthquake update OCHA - IFRC - UNHCR

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , IFRC , UNHCR

Afghanistan earthquake update OCHA - IFRC - UNHCR ENG FRA

Afghanistan: Humanitarians scramble to reach survivors of deadly quake; response at ‘breaking point’

In remote eastern Afghanistan, aid workers are racing to assist survivors of Sunday’s devastating earthquake as the death toll continues to climb, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

Gaza - Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA

Gaza - Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA ENG FRA

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, repeated his urgent call for a ceasefire in Gaza on Friday, amid increased military Israeli activity in the enclave’s largest city.

Gaza update - OCHA WHO 29 August 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , WHO

Gaza update - OCHA WHO 29 August 2025 ENG FRA

Amid reports of increased Israeli military operations across Gaza City on Friday, UN aid agencies repeated urgent warnings of ongoing famine and a likely rise in preventable disease, linked to the dire living conditions in the war-shattered enclave.

OHCHR-Ravina Shamdasani: increasing executions in Iran

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

OHCHR-Ravina Shamdasani: increasing executions in Iran ENG FRA

UN calls for Iran to halt executions and move towards ending the death penalty.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan on Killing of Journalists in Gaza

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al Kheetan on Killing of Journalists in Gaza ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following comment on the killing of journalists in Gaza at the bi-weekly press briefing.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan on “rotation” practice by Egyptian Government

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan on “rotation” practice by Egyptian Government ENG FRA

The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday called on Egyptian authorities to end the practice known as “rotation”, which allows Government critics to be held arbitrarily and for prolonged periods.

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Sudan attacks

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Sudan attacks ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on deadly attacks by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan 

Gaza City famine – UN OCHA, WFP, WHO, OHCHR 22 August 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR , UNITED NATIONS , WFP , WHO

Gaza City famine – UN OCHA, WFP, WHO, OHCHR 22 August 2025 ENG FRA

Gaza: Famine “irrefutably” confirmed, UN humanitarians unite in plea for aid access

Famine has been confirmed in Gaza Governorate by the world’s top authority on food security and will spread further within the Strip unless fighting stops and much more aid is allowed in, UN humanitarians said on Friday.