Redeployment of the State in Central Mali What Role for the Communities in the Return of State Services in the Mopti and Segou Regions?

This project is funded by the European Union

Redeployment of the State in Central Mali What role for the communities in the return of state services in the Mopti and Segou regions?

Alerted to the emergence of a new conflict in the This permanent mechanism for dialogue seeks to centre of Mali, the Government of Mali developed facilitate a series of negotiations to ensure that the Integrated Security Plan for the Central Re- the return of the state services meets the priority gions (Plan de Sécurisation Intégrée des Régions needs identified by the communities and it does du Centre, PSIRC) in 2017, with its aim to pacify not expose them to reprisals. and stabilize the region by restoring the state’s presence in the area. It is within this context that In addition to roadmaps drawn up jointly by par- in 2018 the Malian government called upon the ties for each of the seven target administrative Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) to help districts in the Mopti and Ségou regions, these secure the support of local communities. Since 180 leaders, split into district-based dialogue then, HD, with its mandate as a neutral interme- frameworks, are contributing to the return of pu- diary, has been facilitating an ongoing dialogue blic services and to improved collaboration between 180 community leaders, identified to between local communities and state authorities. represent the interests of their communities to A sampling of their achievements, in part due to the public authorities and state representatives HD support, are presented here. involved in the redeployment of public services. MOPTI Collaboration between Konna’s youth and the security forces

In 2015, the arrival of jihadist In 2018, when the State de- Since then the youth brigade groups in the Mopti region led cided to redeploy the gendar- has been working with the gen- to the withdrawal of the gen- merie and the latter wanted to darmerie, meeting regularly to darmerie from the town and ru- disband the youth-led self-de- discuss security issues. During ral commune of Konna in the fence unit, the young people a visit to Konna on 16 Sep- area (‘circle’) of Koro, on the opposed the plan and the si- tember 2019 by the Minister of orders of the military leadership. tuation quickly deteriorated. Security and Civil Protection to Public trust in law enforcement Requested by the Mopti com- mark the inauguration of the and security forces, already munity dialogue framework in new guard camp, a representa- shaken by several tactical re- 2019, HD began facilitating me- tive of the Konna youth told the treats, was further eroded. To diation between the commu- official of the readiness of all compensate for the absence of nity, representatives of the young people in Konna to colla- a gendarmerie, the young youth brigade, local authorities borate with the security forces people of Konna set up a youth- (mayor and sub-prefect) and in the area. Satisfied with this led security brigade. Equipped the security forces. This pro- initiative, the Minister gave the with clubs, machetes, sticks cess allowed the young people youth brigade a symbolic sum and walkie-talkies, the to share their grievances of one million CFA francs and members of this youth patrol concerning the gendarmerie’s urged its members to continue took it upon themselves to pro- behavior and lack of communi- their collaboration. tect the community. cation and enabled both par- ties to take stock and realise their overlapping interests.

SEGOU Installation of a Brigade Commander in Dioro

The people of Dioro, a rural commune in the regional circle of Ségou, had been living in fear that the intercommunal violence and presence of armed groups in the neighbou- ring circles of Macina and Djen- né would spread to their commune. Dioro’s sole gendarmerie post, guarded by only three gendarmes, was not suf- ficient to ensure the safety of ► MOPTI Facilitating access to health care in the Koro health centre

The Koro circle, which has be- on public holidays; and even youth, to identify their grie- come the epicentre of the vio- negligence by health workers vances, the mediation group lence plaguing the Mopti re- when treating patients. Indeed, initiated a meeting between the gion, is the scene of daily after some deaths were bla- health centre staff, the commu- intercommunity clashes. As a med on the centre’s health nity representatives and local result of this situation, the area workers, family members reac- elected officials. Since this in- has experienced a decline in ted by engaging young people tervention the tension has sub- development activities and the in the community and planning sided and the activities of the withdrawal of basic state ser- demonstrations against the centre have resumed in a man- vices from rural areas. The health centre. ner satisfactory to all. health reference centre in Koro is one of the few facilities still Members of the Koro commu- open and it is struggling to nity dialogue framework de- meet the needs of the popula- cided to intervene in the situation. A growing number of tion and offer mediation as a complaints about the health resolution. After gathering centre include: the failure to is- community representatives, in- sue health care forms that are cluding the village chief, the compulsory to obtain treat- president of Coordination of ment; absence of on-duty doc- Women’s Associations and tors at night, on weekends and NGOs of Mali (CAFO) and the

the inhabitants of the com- to see the brigade commander his post in September 2019. mune. settle in its commune and de- Heartened by his arrival, the cided to take matters into their community, through members In 2017, a brigade commander own hands. of the community dialogue of- was appointed to head a new fice, warmly welcomed the regional brigade that was to be Members of the Dioro commu- commander and expressed established in Dioro. Due to a nity dialogue framework sought their availability to accompany lack of living and office accom- help from the mayor of the him on his missions. In an area modations, however, the bri- commune, who then took the deserted by the Malian security gade commander was unable initiative to provide the brigade forces, this event signaled a to take up his post and re- commander with a property, first step forward to restoring mained in Markala, another and to cover the cost of buil- public trust in the government. commune in the circle of Ségou ding maintenance, until the located about 30 km from Dio- construction of the regional bri- ro. When his successor was gade by the state authorities. appointed in 2019, the commu- The brigade commander was nity of Dioro were determined able to settle in Dioro and start SEGOU The reopening of M’bella school, closed for more than a year

M’bella is a village in the rural with the housework: “I was afraid commune of Folomana in the that I would be sent to the big Macina circle. M’bella is divided cities to become a household into two distinct parts, one inha- helper like my sister, and I cried.” «God answered my prayers bited by the Bambara commu- when my father smiled and nity and the other by the Fulani At a loss, distraught school au- told me that an agreement community. The region’s security thorities asked HD to facilitate had been reached between crisis has not spared this small mediation between the commu- the Fulani and Bambara, village, where, in 2018, the nities so that the school could be that the school would neighboring communities began reopened. reopen and that I was al- to clash after the destruction of a lowed to visit my class- field belonging to a Bambara fa- Following a four-month media- mates again.» mily by the animal of a Fulani tion process led by two HD neighbour. The influence of jiha- teams1, an agreement between Kadidia dists and community armed the two communities was signed groups, commonly known as on 26 February 2020. The deal 1 The project team Mediation of the Redeployment of the State in Mopti and hunters, soon grew in the area. included a pledge by both sides Ségou and that of the project Media- for the immediate reopening of tion and Support to the Peace Process The M’bella school, located on the school in M’bella. Thus, on 2 in Mali, funded by the Kingdom of Denmark, which has been conducting the Bambara side but serving 97 March 2020, the M’bella school community mediations in the northern pupils from both communities, once again opened its doors and central regions of Mali since 2012 was closed as a result of move- and welcomed three teachers (For more information: https://www. hdcentre.org/fr/activities/media- ment restrictions imposed on and 49 pupils, including 29 girls. tion-in-northern-and-central-mali/) the village. Like so many other schoolchildren in the region, Ka- didia, a young Fulani girl, and her best friend Aichata, a young Bambara girl, could no longer attend their community school where they had been students for five years and they were no longer allowed to see each other because of the community dis- pute dividing the village. Kadidia has since then spent her days by her mother’s side helping her

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.