Bamako demolishes faladiè market displacing hundreds of families

The livestock market of Faladiè in Bamako, which also served as a shelter for internally displaced persons, was demolished over the weekend. Over 300 families have been left homeless as a result.

a market turned shelter for displaced families

In Mali, the livestock market in Faladiè, located on the outskirts of Bamako, was flattened by bulldozers on Sunday, April 19. The demolition follows a decision made in September 2024, when authorities relocated several livestock markets after jihadist attacks on the capital’s gendarmerie school and other sensitive military sites. Authorities suspected these markets of harboring jihadist fighters.

However, the Faladiè livestock market, also known locally as the garbal de Faladiè, served another critical purpose: it housed an informal camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), most of whom originated from central Mali. With the demolition, over 300 families—more than 2,000 people—have been left without shelter, food, or access to medical care.

“We left our village six years ago,” recounts Dado, a 40-year-old mother from the Bankass area in central Mali. She fled her home in 2020 due to conflict and violence, seeking safety in Bamako.

from safety to uncertainty

“There are seven of us: my mother, my two daughters, and my three sons. We came here because we thought we’d be safe. That was our hope.”

Dado and her family were among the hundreds who had found refuge in the Faladiè camp. Now, they join the ranks of the newly homeless, struggling to survive in a devastated landscape. Women and children make up the majority of those displaced, facing immediate threats of hunger, illness, and exposure.

sanankoroba relocation site deemed inadequate

Authorities had announced that displaced families from Faladiè would be relocated to Sanankoroba, a site 35 kilometers from Bamako, prepared by the government to accommodate them. Yet, vendors and displaced persons alike describe the site as non-functional.

Dado’s plea is simple: “We’re being forced to leave, and we accept that. But we beg them to find us another place to go.”

“We came here out of fear of the conflict. Before being displaced, we scavenged for scraps and waste to sell to livestock owners. Now, we have nothing: no water, no food. But the most urgent need is shelter. Without a roof over our heads, survival is impossible.”

humanitarian support at risk

The informal IDP camp in Faladiè, established in 2019, had previously received support from local and international humanitarian organizations, as well as Malian authorities. Efforts are now underway to assess the situation, though the National Directorate for Social Development has stated it is “too early” to provide further details.

For families like Dado’s, time is running out. The demolition has stripped them of their fragile stability, leaving them in a state of urgent desperation.