Editing Mali (section)

=== Conflict in Central Mali ===
In the central Mali province of [[Mopti Region|Mopti]], conflict has escalated since 2015 between agricultural communities like the [[Dogon people|Dogon]] and the [[Bambara people|Bambara]], and the [[Pastoralism|pastoral]] [[Fula people|Fula (or Fulani) people]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/in-depth/sahel-flames-Burkina-Faso-Mali-Niger-militancy-conflict|title=The Sahel in flames|date=31 May 2019|website=The New Humanitarian |access-date=23 June 2019|archive-date=13 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113161848/https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/in-depth/sahel-flames-Burkina-Faso-Mali-Niger-militancy-conflict|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|url=https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/07/we-used-be-brothers/self-defense-group-abuses-central-mali|title="We Used to Be Brothers" {{!}} Self-Defense Group Abuses in Central Mali|date=7 December 2018|website=Human Rights Watch |access-date=30 March 2019|last3=t 1.212.290.4700|first3=NY 10118-3299 USA {{!}}|archive-date=2 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402024327/https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/07/we-used-be-brothers/self-defense-group-abuses-central-mali|url-status=live}}</ref> Historically, the two sides have fought over access to land and water, factors which have been exacerbated by [[climate change]] as the Fula move into new areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/29/radical-islamists-have-opened-a-new-front-in-mali/|title=Radical Islamists Have Opened a New Front in Mali|last=Blake|first=James|website=Foreign Policy |date=29 March 2019 |access-date=30 March 2019|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330032447/https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/29/radical-islamists-have-opened-a-new-front-in-mali/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Dogon and the Bambara communities have formed "self-defense groups"<ref name=":4" /> to fight the Fula. They accuse the Fula of working with armed [[Islamic terrorism|Islamists]] linked to [[al-Qaeda]].<ref name=":4" /> While some Fula have joined Islamist groups, [[Human Rights Watch]] reports that the links have been "exaggerated and instrumentalized by different actors for opportunistic ends".<ref name=":4" />

Added a top Mali military commander:<blockquote>I’ve discussed the growing violence with my commanders and with village chiefs from all sides. Yes, sure, there are jihadists in this zone, but the real problem is banditry, animal theft, score settling – people are enriching themselves using the fight against terrorists as a cover.<ref name=":4" /></blockquote>

The conflict has seen the creation and growth of Dogon and Bambara militias. The government of Mali is suspected of supporting some of these groups under the guise of being proxies in the war against Islamists in the [[Northern Mali conflict]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2018/07/24/au-mali-les-liaisons-dangereuses-entre-l-etat-et-les-milices_5335256_3212.html|title=Au Mali, les liaisons dangereuses entre l'Etat et les milices|date=24 July 2018|access-date=30 March 2019|language=fr|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330013608/https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2018/07/24/au-mali-les-liaisons-dangereuses-entre-l-etat-et-les-milices_5335256_3212.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The government denies this.<ref name=":5" /> One such militia is the Dogon group [[Dan Na Ambassagou]], created in 2016.<ref name=":4" />

[[File:Modibo Sidibe voting in Bamako, 2018 Malian presidential election.jpg|thumb|[[Modibo Sidibe]] voting in Bamako, 2018 Malian presidential election]]

In the [[2018 Malian presidential election]] held on 29 July 2018,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.africanews.com/2018/07/10/mali-2018-presidential-election-background-to-a-critical-election-in-an/ |title=Everything you need to know about Mali 2018 presidential election|last=Mumbere|first=Daniel|date=10 July 2018 |work=Africanews.com|access-date=28 July 2018 |archive-date=24 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724062858/http://www.africanews.com/2018/07/10/mali-2018-presidential-election-background-to-a-critical-election-in-an/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://maliactu.net/mali-election-presidentielle-2018-le-premier-tour-aura-lieu-le-dimanche-29-juillet/ |title=Mali: Élection présidentielle 2018 : Le premier tour aura lieu le dimanche 29 juillet|date=12 February 2018|website=maliactu.net|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212142217/http://maliactu.net/mali-election-presidentielle-2018-le-premier-tour-aura-lieu-le-dimanche-29-juillet/ |archive-date=12 February 2018|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref> no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the first round. A runoff was held on 12 August 2018 between the top two candidates, incumbent president [[Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta]] of the [[Rally for Mali]] and [[Soumaïla Cissé]] of the [[Union for the Republic and Democracy]], and Keïta was re-elected with 67% of the vote.<ref>{{cite news |title=Incumbent President Keita wins re-election in Mali |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20180816-mali-incumbent-president-ibraham-boubacar-keita-wins-election |work=France 24 |date=16 August 2018 |access-date=15 October 2022 |archive-date=16 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116002945/https://www.france24.com/en/20180816-mali-incumbent-president-ibraham-boubacar-keita-wins-election |url-status=live }}</ref>

In September 2018, the [[Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue]] negotiated a unilateral ceasefire with Dan Na Ambassagou "in the context of the conflict which opposes the group to other community armed groups in central Mali".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hdcentre.org/updates/youssouf-toloba-and-his-dan-nan-ambassagou-armed-group-sign-a-commitment-towards-a-ceasefire-in-central-mali/|title=Youssouf Toloba and his Dan Nan Ambassagou armed group sign a commitment towards a ceasefire in central Mali {{!}} HD Centre|access-date=30 March 2019|archive-date=29 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329224050/https://www.hdcentre.org/updates/youssouf-toloba-and-his-dan-nan-ambassagou-armed-group-sign-a-commitment-towards-a-ceasefire-in-central-mali/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the group has been blamed for the [[March 2019 attacks against Fulani herders|24 March 2019 massacre of 160 Fula villagers]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/united-nations-investigate-horrific-massacre-mali-190326135707656.html|title=UN to probe 'horrific' Mali attacks as death toll jumps to 160|date=26 March 2019|publisher=Al-Jazeera|access-date=29 March 2019|archive-date=29 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329130105/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/united-nations-investigate-horrific-massacre-mali-190326135707656.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The group denied the attack, but afterwards Malian president Keita ordered the group to disband.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://africanarguments.org/2019/03/26/insiders-insight-explaining-the-mali-massacre/|title=Insiders Insight: Explaining the Mali massacre|date=26 March 2019|website=African Arguments |access-date=30 March 2019|archive-date=18 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918134833/https://africanarguments.org/2019/03/26/insiders-insight-explaining-the-mali-massacre/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, [[Adama Dieng]], warned of a growing [[ethnicization]] of the conflict.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1035661|title=Central Mali: Top UN genocide prevention official sounds alarm over recent ethnically-targeted killings |date=28 March 2019|website=UN News |access-date=30 March 2019|archive-date=29 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329172541/https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1035661 |url-status=live}}</ref> By 2020, more than 600,000 people had been [[Refugee|displaced]] by the conflict in Mali.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Giannangeli |first1=Marco |title=Britain 'sleepwalking' into deadly conflict in war-torn West Africa |url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1354747/british-army-mali-west-africa-troops-war-terrorism-royal-anglian-light-dragoons-al-qaeda |access-date=30 November 2020 |publisher=express.co.uk |date=1 November 2020 |archive-date=26 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126044622/https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1354747/british-army-mali-west-africa-troops-war-terrorism-royal-anglian-light-dragoons-al-qaeda |url-status=live }}</ref> The United Nations reported that the number of children killed in the conflict in the first six months of 2019 was twice as many for the entire year of 2018. Many of the children have been killed in intercommunal attacks attributed to ethnic militias, with the majority of attacks occurring around [[Mopti]]. It is reported that around 900 schools have closed down and that armed militias are recruiting children.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sharp rise in number of children killed in Mali's deadly attacks |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/aug/13/sharp-rise-number-children-killed-mali |access-date=1 September 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=13 August 2019 |archive-date=31 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831235440/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/aug/13/sharp-rise-number-children-killed-mali |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the first week of October 2019, two jihadist attacks in the towns of Boulikessi and [[Mondoro]] killed more than 25 Mali soldiers near the border with [[Burkina Faso]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://en.puic.org/news/10181 | title = PUIC Secretary General condemns terrorist attacks in Mali | date = 8 October 2019 | publisher = [[Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States]] | archive-url = https://archive.today/20191022180105/http://en.puic.org/news/10181 | archive-date = 22 October 2019 | url-status = live | access-date = 22 October 2019 }}</ref> President Keïta declared that "no military coup will prevail in Mali", continuing by saying that he does not think it "is on the agenda at all and cannot worry us".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/07/world/mali-president-dismisses-coup-speculation-jihadi-attacks-kill-dozens-troops-near-burkina-faso-border/#.Xa8-j5IzbIU |title=Mali president dismisses coup speculation after jihadi attacks kill dozens of troops near Burkina Faso border |date=7 October 2019 |website=[[Japantimes.co.jp]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191022175954/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/10/07/world/mali-president-dismisses-coup-speculation-jihadi-attacks-kill-dozens-troops-near-burkina-faso-border/%23.Xa9DXtLLfK5#.Xa8-j5IzbIU |archive-date=22 October 2019 |url-status=live |access-date=22 October 2019 }}</ref> On 1 November 2019, the [[Islamic State in the Greater Sahara|IS-GS]] militants killed at least 50 soldiers in the [[2019 Indelimane attack]] in the [[Ménaka Region]] of Mali.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/militants-kill-54-attack-mali-army-post-claims-responsibility-n1075721|title=Militants kill 54 in attack on Mali army post, ISIS claims responsibility|website=[[NBC News]]|date=3 November 2019 |accessdate=12 December 2019}}</ref> In February 2020, Human Rights Watch documented atrocities against civilians in Central Mali and said that at least 456 civilians were killed, while hundreds were injured from January 2019 until November.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/02/10/how-much-more-blood-must-be-spilled/atrocities-against-civilians-central-mali|title=How Much More Blood Must Be Spilled?|website=HRW|date=10 February 2020|access-date=31 May 2023|archive-date=31 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531102933/https://www.hrw.org/report/2020/02/10/how-much-more-blood-must-be-spilled/atrocities-against-civilians-central-mali |url-status=live}}</ref>