Maghreb Edition

Sahel: Fire at Faladié refugee camp in Bamako, MaliF

Posted On 29 April 2020

Number of times this article was read : 655

Bamako, April 28, 2020 – A fire on Tuesday destroyed much of the main camp for displaced people in Bamako, where more than 1,000 people who fled the violence in central Mali have found refuge, an AFP journalist said. No report on casualties was immediately available but damage to the “Faladie” camp considerable with makeshift huts, installed on a landfill in the south of the Malian capital, reduced to ashes.

The site was cloaked in an imposing white cloud while the embers were still glowing in the alleys of the camp. “People set fire to waste to burn it and with the strong wind today everything caught fire at the end of the morning, it is a disaster,” said Ibrahim Maiga, a displaced survivor of the fire.

According to humanitarian workers, the camp houses more than a thousand people, most members of the Fulani ethnic group from central Mali who were chased out of their homes by a cycle of jihadist and intercommunity violence.

AFP

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Egypt joins China’s tariff-free initiative as Beijing opens its market to nearly all of AfricaF

Egypt joined China’s expanded zero-tariff scheme on 1 May 2026, gaining duty-free access to the Chinese market alongside 52 other African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing. The move eliminates tariffs that previously ran from 8 to 30 percent on key Egyptian exports, though the arrangement is a two-year preferential window through April 2028 rather than a permanent deal, and non-tariff barriers like rules of origin and phytosanitary standards still apply.

While its minorities are winning World Cup games, France is preparing to pivot to the far rightF

As France’s multiethnic World Cup squad marches toward the semifinals, the country’s 2027 presidential race is tilting hard right. Right-winger Marine Le Pen leads first-round polling and beats nearly every rival in hypothetical runoffs. With RN president Jordan Bardella waiting in the wings and Jean-Luc Mélenchon consolidating the left, France’s fractured center may not be able to stop either a far-right or hard-left runoff in 2027. Here is our take.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.