Since May 26, a steady flow of Burkinabe refugees has been arriving in the town of Koro, located in central Mali. Local authorities estimate that several thousand people have crossed the border to escape the intensifying violence in their homeland.

These displaced individuals fled after receiving threats from armed jihadist groups operating in the region. Hamsetou, a refugee who arrived in Koro with her daughter and extended family, described the terror that forced them to leave. She recounted that armed men came to her village of Sia, in the Gomboro department of central Burkina Faso, on the day of the weekly market. “They ordered us to leave our village before sunrise,” she said. “So we left that very night, traveling on foot to hide in neighboring villages. The next day, we took a taxi to reach Koro.”

The refugees abandoned everything they owned. Many come from villages such as Sia, Gani, Bouli, Kogan, Ganagoulo, and Kouéré. Nearly three-quarters of those who have fled are women and children, according to local officials.

“We left everything behind”

Hamsetou plans to stay in Koro until calm returns to her village. Oumou, another refugee from Ganagoulo, explained that on May 26 she saw armed men heading toward Bouli and Gani. “They then came to our village and told us we would suffer the same fate. That’s when we decided to flee, leaving behind our homes, granaries, and livestock. Some walked, others used tricycles, carts, or bicycles to reach Koro,” she said. Oumou arrived safely with her husband and four children.

Issa Sagara, the deputy mayor of Koro, noted that the conditions for hosting, sheltering, and feeding the Burkinabe refugees remain precarious. He called for a general mobilization to address the urgent needs. The refugees are currently spread across several sites in and around Koro.