Displaced families in Mali face crisis as Bamako demolishes Faladiè camp

In Mali, the Faladiè livestock market, located on the outskirts of Bamako, was leveled by bulldozers on Sunday, April 19. This intervention stems from a policy established in September 2024 following Jnim insurgent strikes against the gendarmerie school and other strategic military points in the capital. Malian authorities ordered the relocation of several livestock hubs, or “garbals,” over concerns they were being used as cover by militants. However, the Faladiè site was also home to a significant informal settlement for internally displaced persons, mostly from central Mali, leaving hundreds of families suddenly homeless and without aid.

“We abandoned our village six years ago,” shares Dado, a mother in her 40s from the Bankass region. She fled the insecurity of central Mali in 2020 alongside her entire family.

Seeking safety in Bamako

“There are seven of us in total: my mother, my two daughters, and my three sons. The conflict forced us to move to the capital, where we truly believed we would finally be safe,” Dado explains.

Alongside Dado’s family, approximately 300 other households residing in the Faladiè camp have been cast out. This displacement affects more than 2,000 people, primarily women and children, who are now stranded in a ruined landscape without access to food, water, or medical assistance.

The uncertainty of relocation to Sanankoroba

The official plan for those evicted from the Faladiè market is a move to Sanankoroba, situated 35 kilometers from Bamako. While the state claims to have prepared a site there, local livestock traders have described the new location as “non-functional.”

Dado’s only priority now is finding a stable roof for her children. “We accept the order to leave because we have no other choice, but we are pleading with the authorities to provide us with a real place to settle,” she says.

She highlights the desperation of their current state: “We came here to escape the horrors of war. Before this demolition, we survived by collecting waste and food scraps to sell to cattle breeders. Now, we have nothing—no water, no food. But above all, we need shelter. For someone with nothing, a roof is the first priority.”

Established in 2019, the informal camp at the Faladiè market had previously received support from both international humanitarian groups and Malian state agencies. When asked for comment, the Direction nationale du développement social stated that it was “too early” to provide a formal assessment of the current situation.