Around 300,000 Malians have found refuge in the Hodh Chargui region, in southeastern Mauritania, since the start of the crisis in 2012. Fleeing the violence, these populations recount journeys marked by fear, loss and uncertainty.
Some say they escaped attacks by jihadist groups affiliated with JNIM or from intercommunal conflicts. Others point the finger at the Malian army and the Russian paramilitaries of the Africa Corps, also known as Wagner, whom they accuse of atrocities against civilians.
Ilanbozi, 48, denounces the violence as unjustified. According to him, civilians are being targeted without evidence: "Only those who put an end to the massacres will allow farmers, herders, and travelers to live in safety. Why target me when I wasn't armed?"
The recent recapture of Kidal, a strategic city in northern Mali, by Tuareg armed groups has sparked cautious hope among some refugees. Many want to see the Russian paramilitaries leave the country.
But Moscow has rejected these calls and says it wants to continue the fight against terrorism and extremism.
Like many refugees, 43-year-old Mohamed dreams of returning: "As soon as there is peace, I will go back. My country was forcibly taken from me..."
In northern Mali, the absence of the state and the lack of development have also driven some residents to flee poverty. Living conditions in the camps remain precarious, and the intensification of fighting is a cause for concern.
Tilleli, 22, tries to remain optimistic: "We hope that peace will return... as soon as possible."
Mali faces a multitude of armed actors. Some groups, like the Azawad Liberation Front, claim independence for the north (Kidal, Gao, Ménaka, Timbuktu). Others, like JNIM, seek to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law. In Bamako, the advance of jihadist groups further destabilizes an already unstable military transition. In this protracted conflict, civilians remain the primary victims. Displaced, uprooted, and often forgotten, refugees continue to live in anticipation of a return to peace.
