Eyewitness report offers rare insight into critical situation of Malian refugees in Niger

The ongoing fighting between the Malian army and Tuareg rebels has forced refugees to flee the country en masse and seek refuge in neighbouring countries. Our Observer went to see a group of refugees in the town of Mangaize, in northern Niger. What he found was a dire humanitarian crisis, far away from the media spotlight.

The latest fightting began in mid-January when Mali’s Tuareg rebels launched an attack against the country’s army. Gathered under an umbrella group called the National Movement for the Liberation of Azaouad (MNLA in French), they are demanding the independence of Azaouad, a non-officially recognized region at the border of Mali, Niger and Algeria that is their historic homeland.

The number of refugees fleeing the violence in Mali has doubled in the last ten days, according to the UN’s refugee agency. Over 44, 000 people fled to Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso. Several refugee camps have also been set up in Algeria.

Our Observer spent some time in a camp in northern Burkina Faso before going to Mangaize, a village150 km north of the Niger capital of Niamey. Local authorities and the UN plan to transfer the families currently in Mangaize to the city of Quallam, considered safer because it is not as close to the Malian border.

Photos taken by Assan Midal near Mangaize on February 16.

"Men are trying to sell their sheep at the market"

Assan Midal is a tour guide in Mali and Niger. Since the start of the unrest, he has visited a number of Malian refugee camps in Niger and Burkina Faso to help people and report on the situation.

In Mangaize, the refugees are from the [eastern Malian town of] Menaka and its surroundings. They arrived about fifteen days ago. Some are staying with friends or family in the city, others sleep in tents or on the street. Those who can afford to are renting out houses for ten euros a month.

For the past few days, local NGOs have been handing out food and water in the camps. UNICEF has donated tents. Authorities are also keeping track of the number of refugees: there are currently 1,500 in Mangaize alone.

The sanitary conditions here are very poor. There are no bathrooms, and people have to relieve themselves outside, near their tents. On market days, men from the camp try to sell the sheep they brought over from Mali. They may feel safe here, but you can read the sadness on their faces."

Photos taken by Assan Midal near Mangaize on February 16. See all of Midal’s photos on Facebook.