BAMAKO, Mali, August 10, 2023 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/–On August 3, MINUSMA officially handed over the Ogossagou base to the Malian authorities, before leaving the locality as part of the first phase of its withdrawal from Mali, which concerns the closure in August of its peripheral bases in ‘Ogossagou, Ber, Goundam and Ménaka. As MINUSMA works actively to complete its full withdrawal from Mali by December 31, 2023, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2690, a look back at the success of the Mission’s community reconciliation process in Ogossagou after three years of presence.
Ogossagou, a locality in the circle of Bankass made up of two Dogon and Fulani villages, has become a symbol of rediscovered coexistence. In 2019, this circle in central Mali was the scene of inter-community tensions and violence that led to killings on March 23, 2019 and February 14, 2020, resulting in nearly 200 civilian casualties. To prevent such atrocities from happening again and to promote reconciliation between the communities, MINUSMA decided to set up a temporary military base, or TOB for Temporary Operations Base in English, between the two villages. Its objective was also to guarantee the free movement of people and goods in these localities. It also allowed the resumption of agricultural and pastoral activities, the exploitation and use of natural resources as well as access to markets, health centers and other basic social services.
As soon as they were deployed in the locality, the peacekeepers worked to restore security in 12 Fulani and Dogon villages, while contributing to their protection. Both the Dogon and Fulani populations showed confidence in the blue helmets, so much so that they prayed
For Amadou TOGO, representing the Dogons of Ogossagou, “the presence of MINUSMA has calmed the situation between the communities. We benefited a lot from this presence. We all regretted the violence that opposed us. We want peace to be completely restored”. Same story from the side of the representative of the Fulani community, Mamoud BARRY for whom “MINUSMA has done its best and we thank it for the good work done. Blue helmets helped us with security, food and health. We are not affected by their departure”.
The base set up in the heart of the villages in March 2020 paved the way for inter-community dialogue and negotiation sessions, as well as trust-building activities in collaboration with the Regional Reconciliation Support Team (ERAR).
A historic success
The violence that occurred in 2019 and 2020, the main reasons for the installation of the Temporary Base, has been contained over the past three years, throughout the presence of peacekeepers in the locality. “A pride” for Captain Mamadou NIANG, last Commander of the base, who is preparing to leave the village with “the satisfaction of having participated in establishing a lasting peace there”.
Indeed, the base of Ogossagou has played an essential role as a place of meeting and exchanges in the efforts of reconciliation of these communities. It has also greatly contributed to protecting populations and mitigating violence. For three consecutive years, it was the framework for the development of a local agreement signed on October 8, 2021. This agreement, which involved the 12 surrounding villages, laid the foundations for reconciliation and the return to living together between the sister communities under the protection of MINUSMA through the base, occupied until then by the Senegalese peacekeepers.
A few months after the signing of the agreement, Allaye GUINDO, Mayor of the commune of Bankass, expressed his optimism as to the prospects for reconciliation in these terms: “The social fabric will perhaps be mended little by little. Taking the specific case of Ogossagou, it is thanks to funding from MINUSMA that many exchange meetings have been held. It was to sound out, to see how the Dogons and the Peulhs could see each other. In the end, we even signed an agreement between the Dogons and the Peulhs of Ogossagou and the surrounding villages. And we will see over time how the situation will evolve.
An essential aspect of this agreement was the denunciation of all forms of violence. Rather, it advocated the use of local conflict resolution mechanisms, such as Communal Reconciliation Committees (CCR) and Land Commissions (CoFo). This testified to a collective will to foster a sustainable peace process, rooted in local socio-economic realities.
MINUSMA’s commitment to funding these meetings and facilitating dialogue between the communities was a crucial element in building a climate of trust conducive to reconciliation. The presence of peacekeepers has demonstrated that it can be much more than a military base by becoming a catalyst for the return of peace and coexistence between the communities of the circle of Bankass. The collective dialogue between the villages of Ogossagou and ten other Dogon and Fulani villages in the communes of Bankass and Dimbal is proof of this. Facilitated by the national authorities and the ERAR, all these meetings and exchanges took place at the TOB.
Achievements to support the reconciliation process
On October 8, 2022, the first anniversary of this agreement, a MINUSMA team visited the site to observe the implementation and include more women in it. At the end of this dialogue and to support the momentum of reconciliation, a market gardening project for women from both communities was set up. The objective was to foster a social climate allowing these women to work side by side again, hand in hand, for their economic resilience and the promotion of living together. Participatory and inclusive approach, the implementation of this project was the subject of consensus between the parties, as revealed by the choice of its location. In addition to reconciliation, the initiative also aimed to strengthen the role of women and young people in society as leaders of peace and social cohesion. Beyond Ogossagou and the circle of Bankas in central Mali, MINUSMA conducted training sessions for local mediators, community dialogues, local solidarity initiatives and capacity-building workshops to reduce tensions social.
Furthermore, it should also be noted that the establishment of the camp fostered fraternal relations and camaraderie between the Malian Armed Forces and the Blue Helmets. Although it is true that the detachment of blue helmets has never carried out joint operations with the FAMa, the fact remains that there is a real synergy between the two entities through actions to facilitate the crossing of villages hostile along the National Route 15 but above all, in the field of intelligence. Ultimately, this structure of MINUSMA has made it possible to drastically reduce the cases of violence recorded but also to “win the hearts and minds” of the populations.
Calm hearts and minds
During the handover ceremony of the Ogossagou base to the local authorities, the prefect of the Circle of Bankass, representing the Governor of the Bandiagara region, Colonel Aliou SIDIBÉ, did not fail to show his satisfaction with -vis the collaboration with the Senegalese contingent. “Today is a great day for the Malian people, the authorities and MINUSMA, we are all happy. We are heartbroken, because as Malians we are a people of brotherhood, we are a land of welcome. Whatever the situation, whatever the role of MINUSMA or the FAMa, we all worked together at one time. We had Senegalese brothers and it hurts our hearts to let them go. You have done a lot for our communities, for the people of Mali, we can never thank you enough. I thank you on behalf of all the authorities, the Governor, the Zone Commander, the Theater Commander, all the Malian soldiers and on my own behalf. Thank you, thank you, thank you and welcome back home”.
At a time when this base, like the Mission, is beginning to withdraw, Solange Akouba USHER from the Mopti Regional Office, underlines its importance. “In Ogossagou, what we have accomplished has had a positive impact on communities in terms of security. Together with the local authorities, we were able to establish a basis for peaceful cohabitation between the communities. The determining factor was the community approach to promote their protection. There have been easy days and less easy days, because peace is not built in a single day. Cohesion and living together is a process therefore a work in the medium and long term”.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) for MINUSMA
Source : African Media Agency (AMA)