Intra & inter-faith dialogue in How are religious actors integrated in the management of local conflicts? INTRA & INTER-FAITH SÉGOU DIALOGUE IN MALI Easing tensions between a militia of hunters and villagers of Ouan

Jihadist groups that occupied the North and The village of Ouan in the area (‘circle’) of To- parts of Central Mali in 2012 introduced a minian is under the influence of a militia of version of Islam advocating for the compre- Dozo hunters, with a majority of its population identifying as members of the Protestant hensive enforcement of Sharia. Despite the faith. In 2019, the village chief gave his accord crimes committed by these groups, some to the hunters that all the men of the village communities also see them as providers of would join their ranks; villagers who had not security and equity in the application of jus- been consulted opposed this decision. The tice. Jihadist influences have polarised com- hunters then threatened to impose a fine of munities and created tension between the 250,000 CFA (about 380 EUR) on all those diverse branches of Islam. who did not conform.

The Protestant community of Ouan brought In this context, the Centre for Humanitarian the issue before the religious-consensus-buil- Dialogue (HD) began facilitating inter & intra- ding platform in Ségou, which counts four faith dialogue in 2015 among nearly 200 local Christians among its members. These imams, ulemas, Quranic masters, abbots, members facilitated a meeting and exchange pastors or leaders of Islamic associations. between the hunters and community, during These actors were organised into seven reli- which the Protestants explained that the ac- gious-consensus-building platforms based in tions of the hunters went against their faith. The chief of the hunters replied that each Kidal, , , Taoudeni, Mopti, could practice their faith freely, without adop- Ménaka, and Ségou. Their goal is to contri- ting the rites and beliefs of the hunters – bute to easing intra-faith tensions, as well as which joining their ranks had seemed to im- to prevent and manage local conflicts, ply. In addition, the chief of the hunters lifted whether communal or religious. The following the obligation set on the men of the commu- examples below illustrate their work. nity to join the group, a decision that ap- peased the community members. MOPTI GAO Resolving a land distribution Lifting the prohibition of access to conflict in Sarehabé the graveyard of Bazi-Haoussa

At the start of 2020, the Konta family, living in Dioulabougou and Bayi-Haoussa, two vil- the small village of Sarehabé – in the com- lages of the commune and the circle of Dan- mune of Sah, in the circle of , soli- songo, share a cemetery situated in the later cited the chief of the village to obtain a field of these two villages. The chief of the village for their private use. The chief attributed them of Bazi-Haoussa ceded this parcel to his a tract of land not far from the village. The neighbour so that his villagers could construct villagers, displeased about this decision as their cemetery. Faced with an increase in the the parcel of land had previously been reser- number of the deceased, the cemetery kept ved for collective use, demanded that the growing until it spread beyond the limits of the head of the village cancel this act. After a lot of land attributed for it. The chief of the non-response from his side, the villages village of Bayi-Haoussa then decided in Oc- wanted to depose him. In May 2020, the tober 2020 to forbid the inhabitants of Dioula- imam of Sarehabé solicited the support of the bougou from burying their dead in the ceme- members of the religious-consensus-building tery. Faced with this decision, the inhabitants platforms living in Sah to lead a mediation of the two villages started sending each other between the villagers and the chief of the vil- insults through radio messages. lage. After five months of negotiations, the chief decided to attribute a different tract of The religious-consensus-building platform of land to the Konta family, with the villager Gao became involved in the affair and, jointly agreeing that he remain in his position as with the president of the two village associa- chief. tions, led a dialogue with the aim of getting permission for the inhabitants of Dioulabou- gou to bury their dead. The mediation activi- ties of the platform allowed for a compromise to be reached: the new limits of the cemetery of Dioulabougou would be delineated jointly and enclosed between the two villages. TOMBOUCTOU AND FROM THE NORTH TO THE TAOUDENI CENTRE Radio messages in favour of Easing tensions surrounding the peace nomination of religious leaders

The religious-consensus-building platform The nomination of religious leaders is some- contributes to calming social tensions by times a source of conflict, both among reli- broadcasting messages of peace from the gious leaders themselves and among parti- Quran on local radio stations. Since 2018, HD sans who stand in opposition to them. Since has supported religious leaders in the deve- 2018, the religious-consensus-building plat- lopment and dissemination of 25 messages, form has resolved several conflicts tied to translated into six local dialects, in over a do- the succession of a deceased imam, to the zen local radio stations. Between 2019 and nomination of members of the High Islamic 2020, the platforms of Timbuktu and Taoude- Counsel of a town, and with regards to oppo- ni, for example, focused on the dissemination sition to the authority of an imam. The natural of peace messaging aimed at armed youth authority of the members of the religious- who were causing incidences in the town of consensus-building platform makes them key Timbuktu, in turn contributing to the preven- interlocutors, as demonstrated by the role tion of intercommunity stand-offs. Below is played by those of Ségou in the town of Kon- an extract: gourou. While the new imam wanted to desi- gnate his second, as per custom, he was This is a message of the religious-consen- faced with opposition from the second of the sus-building platform for peace. On the sub- previous imam. A mediation conducted by ject of correct behaviour in the face of evil, the the platform of Ségou was deemed necessa- prophet (SAAS)1 said: ry and, after several meetings, the second “No! I swear in the name of Allah! I swear! You imam conceded his place to the newly elec- must incontestably ordain goodness and for- ted one. bid that which does ill onto others, or to put the hand on the perpetrator of a crime, to bring him back to witnessing with his own goodness, nothing but the truth, otherwise the divine sanction will have repercussions on the hearts of ones and others and Allah will curse you all.”2 And to the authors of the Sunana to add: “Certainly, if you consider the criminal and do not keep it from achieving its end, it is sure that a general sanction will befall you all.”

1 The Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him 2 Hadith reported by Abu Daoud and Tirmidhi

HD thanks Denmark for its support since 2011 to its action in Mali.