The security situation in the Sahel deteriorated following the coups d'état in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Regional instability has led to an increase in violence, deaths and displacements, with more than 10,000 civilians killed in 2023.
All the sources consulted indicate that the security situation in Mali continued to deteriorate in both 2023 and 2024, marked by constant armed insurgencies, particularly affecting civilians, who continue to be subjected to various human rights violations. Jihadist attacks continued to cause numerous civilian and military casualties, and communal violence persisted, especially in central Mali. Moreover, the Malian authorities opened a new battle front by breaking the 2015 Peace Agreement with the armed groups in the north, thereby re-launching the fighting to ‘reconquer the national territory’.
Attacks have continued and intensified throughout Mali, although their frequency and intensity have varied from region to region. The centre and north of the country remained the hardest hit by violence during the first nine months of 2024. However, incursions by terrorist groups into the south have reached the capital, marking an intensification of fighting in this part of the country, as well as signaling their ability to strike Bamako. On 17 September 2024, a major attack targeting two military sites left more than 70 people dead and 250 wounded in Bamako.
Statistics from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) show that, from 1 January to 20 September 2024, violence against civilians was the most frequent type of violence, followed by armed combat and indirect violence, such as shelling and explosions of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The number of civilians killed by the Malian armed forces (FAMA) and Wagner's Russian mercenaries was also on the rise, eroding the population's confidence in the Malian authorities and encouraging some civilians to join extremist groups.
As a result of the continuing deterioration in the security context in the first half of 2024, human rights violations increased by almost 300% compared to the same period in 2023. The regions of Gao, Mopti, Douentza, Bandiagara, Ségou and Timbuktu were particularly badly affected, with frequent attacks on physical and moral integrity, property violations and forced population displacements.
The humanitarian situation remains a cause for concern, with more than 330,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 1,792 schools closed because of the security situation, and acute food insecurity for almost 4 million people in Mali.
Policy
The policy implemented by the Commissioner General is based on a thorough analysis of accurate and up-to-date information on the general situation in the country of origin. This information is collated in a professional manner from various, objective sources, including the EUAA, the UNHCR, relevant international human rights organisations, non-governmental organisations, professional literature and coverage in the media. When determining policy, the Commissioner General does not only examine the COI Focuses written by Cedoca and published on this website, as these deal with just one aspect of the general situation in the country of origin. The fact that a COI Focus could be out-of-date does not mean that the policy that is being implemented by the Commissioner General is no longer up-to-date.
When assessing an application for asylum, the Commissioner General not only considers the actual situation in the country of origin at the moment of decision-making, he also takes into account the individual situation and personal circumstances of the applicant for international protection. Every asylum application is examined individually. An applicant must comprehensively demonstrate that he has a well-founded fear of persecution or that there is a clear personal risk of serious harm. He cannot, therefore, simply refer back to the general conditions in his country, but must also present concrete, credible and personal facts.
There is no policy paper for this country available on the website.