Since May 26, Burkinabe refugees have been streaming into Koro, a town in central Mali. Local authorities estimate the number at several thousand.

These displaced individuals fled violence in their home region after threats from jihadist armed groups. The deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso has forced entire communities to abandon their villages.

“Two people arrived on a motorcycle. I think they were messengers, so we got scared,” explains Hamsetou. She reached Koro with her daughter and other family members after armed groups passed through Sia village in Gomboro department, central Burkina Faso.

“They came on the day of our weekly market and ordered us to leave our village before sunrise,” she adds. “That’s how we left at night, hiding in neighboring villages. The next day we took a taxi to Koro.”

We left everything behind

Hamsetou plans to settle permanently in Koro until calm returns to her village. In addition to Sia, most residents of Gani, Bouli, Kogan, Ganagoulo, and Kouéré have also fled to Mali. Nearly three-quarters of the refugees are women and children.

Oumou, from Ganagoulo, says on May 26 she saw armed men heading toward the neighboring villages of Bouli and Gani. “Then they came to our village and told us we would suffer the same fate. That’s when we decided to flee, leaving behind everything—our homes, granaries, animals. Some walked, others used tricycles, carts, or bicycles to reach Koro.”

Oumou eventually reached Koro with her husband and four children, all safe.

Issa Sagara, deputy mayor of Koro, says reception, shelter, and food conditions for the Burkinabe refugees remain precarious. He calls for a general mobilization. For now, refugees are spread across several sites in and around the town.