In Mali, the situation in Anefis remains tense despite the apparent calm which has reigned since the reconquest of the locality by the Malian army and Wagner’s Russian auxiliaries. While the fighting has stopped, the Fama-Wagner convoy is still immobilized and a pause is observed on the front. However, the civilian population, both in Anefis and Kidal, lives in fear of a resumption of hostilities and the consequences this could have on their lives.
Many residents of Anefis and surrounding areas fled their homes before the arrival of Malian forces. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 1,800 people, or more than 360 households, have moved to other towns in the region such as Tindarssan, Amassine and Kidal. This situation aggravates the already precarious situation in Kidal which was already hosting a large number of displaced people from other regions of the North.
The UNHCR also notes an influx of population on the Algerian border, with an increase in the number of displaced people in Tin Zaouatène on the Malian side and in Tamanrasset and Bordj Badji Mokhtar on the Algerian side. Faced with this situation, those who can choose to flee further north, while others find themselves forced to stay in Kidal for lack of better alternatives. Some still hope that negotiations can succeed and avoid an escalation of the conflict.
Civilian populations also fear the abuses committed by Malian soldiers and Wagner’s auxiliaries, as evidenced by the case of Ersane where 17 people were recently beheaded. Rumors of aerial bombardments, fueled by the supposed presence of drones above the city, have also sowed panic among residents. Finally, supply difficulties linked to insecurity on the roads linking Kidal to Gao or Niger have led to an increase in prices, thus impacting the daily lives of residents.
In these circumstances, UNHCR also highlights the difficulties of access to displaced populations in need of humanitarian assistance. The situation therefore remains worrying and uncertain for the inhabitants of Anefis and the Kidal region, who continue to live in uncertainty and fear for their safety.
Anefis Mali Kidal insurgents humanitarian abuses