On September 10, 2012, Yeah Samake and I visited the town of Djibo in northern Burkina Faso where the Mintao Refugee Camp are located. Spread out in three contiguous camps there were 15,000 displaced Tuaregs, Arabs from northern towns of Timbuktu and Gao in Mali, with an additional 45,000 located in other regions of Burkina Faso. Reports indicate These camps are operated by the UN refugee agency is struggling to cope with this influx. We noted problems with a lack of food, and tents to store and protect the grain, water, and education facilities for the children. They believe the Malian government and the international community have abandoned them. They are tired of living in these conditions, feel humiliated and at the mercy of the harsh elements. Over 60 % are children; hygiene is a concern. They have been forced from their homes since January because of the fighting between Malian army and the Tuareg rebels and Ansar Dine. There have been tensions and clashes within the camps between pro and anti-independence movement, so the camp populations have been somewhat shifted around by compartmentalizing both segments of the population.
We had traveled early that morning from the capital Ouagadougou, a distance of 150 miles north, over some of the roughest unmaintained roads. Along the way there were several caravans of trucks carrying precious supplies for this destitute diaspora, broken town, taking their toll from one too many crevices in the road.
Once there we were welcomed by Mohamed xxxxx a Tuareg leader and spokesman for one of the camps. In walking around the tents for each family stretching along the vast barren plains were 10 by 15 feet, with some being larger. They were well braced against the elements. Many had rugs set on the soil below. Laundry was hung neatly everywhere to dry. Bags of grain and other minimal food supplies were coveted by each family. Although one of the camps, whose teacher we later met with had an enclosed facility, the class in the first camp was held under a tree. Several teachers and volunteers were guiding the children through some songs. Nearby two young boys were playing checkers, while others in the distance were kicking around a soccer ball. I was pleasantly surprised to see how clean these children looked, oblivious to their parents’ plight. There appeared to be adequate restroom facilities and outdoor shower areas. Water sources seemed to be available as well.
Soon we were ushered to an open tent area, where more than a dozen men sat on a large rug cross-legged a stern. Interspersed were some younger men, who were either in the leadership, observers or security. Each I could feel was eying me as an outsider, a westerner. Yeah, gave comfort to these wary individuals being Malian and being able to converse directly with them. Most had journeyed from the Timbuktu and Gao areas approximately one hundred miles away. Many were Bedouins so they carried all their belongings and brought with them a few sheep and cows. I spotted several camels, so I presume these were used for transportation.
Recording their remarks at first created apprehension, but soon everyone wanted it to be on record. The remarks translated were all similar. At first there were requests for upgrade conditions at the camp, with more adequate food rations. But the long-term solutions were the main focus of each person’s input. Most Tuaregs had for years wanted a separate state. There had been a number of rebellions which were squashed by the Malian army. The MNLA movement had been alive for years under the leadership of XXXXX. As his Islamist leanings became more radical, he split off to form the Ansar Dine, "Protectors of the Faith”, which attracted many followers, some from as far away as Algeria.
The Arab Spring revolution in North Africa, starting with Egypt followed by Libya helped create the instability across the Sahel region, affecting an already tenuous issue in northern Mali. With the return from Libya.