Dafi, Samoko, Fulani, Dogon and Bozo communities sign peace agreement in Baye in the Mopti region of Mali

The Dafi, Samoko, Fulani, Dogon and Bozo communities of the Baye municipality, located in the area (“circle”) of Bankass and the region of Mopti in Mali, signed a peace agreement on Thursday, 25 July 2019 in Baye. The Agreement puts an end to a year-long intercommunal conflict among these communities.

The Baye Agreement is a result of mediation efforts supported in the past month by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD).

Signed by five community leaders on behalf of the parties, the Agreement puts an end to a year of intercommunal conflicts marked by the loss of lives, displacement of populations, massive theft of livestock and severe restrictions on the freedom of movement of goods and persons.

Read the Baye Peace Agreement here.

Through this Agreement, both communities have committed to:

• Making an appeal to the community armed groups to put an immediate end to the violence;
• Referring to the competent authorities in case of threats or attacks and strongly denouncing all acts of violence committed in the future by members of their community;
• Contributing to lifting all embargoes imposed on villages and markets, and facilitating in the rapid return of all displaced persons;
• Opposing the theft of livestock regardless of which community the owner is a member of, and facilitating the smooth functioning of rural and pastoral activities;
• Informing and raising awareness among community leaders  to commit to peace and to only disseminate peaceful messages through social media;
• Urging authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure the security of populations and their belongings in the concerned area and in the region of Mopti in general.

“Since the Ogossagou massacre and with the intensification of clashes between armed groups, the smooth functioning of  the 2019 transhumance period and agricultural season is severely under threat,” said Abdel Kader Sidibé, HD’s Head of Mission for the Sahel.

“The Agreement symbolizes the willingness of the Baye communities to reverse this trend and can foster other similar initiatives.” Originating from the struggle for access to natural resources, this conflict was exacerbated by the strong presence of community armed groups and jihadists in the Circle of Bankass.

The mediation process, which was supported by HD, brought together and engaged all the leaders of the different communities, women and youth, members of the municipality of Baye, state authorities, as well as elected officials.

The community leaders involved in the process informed local armed groups at each step to ensure their support in the implementation of the Agreement.

HD intends to continue its work by supporting the follow-up committee created at the time of the signature and which is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Agreement.

The Baye Agreement is part of HD’s mediation efforts aiming to support stabilization efforts in the border regions of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

HD would like to express its gratitude to Canada for its support to its activities in the region.