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The Fulanis: Spotlight on Mali's jihadist insurgency
A group of Fulani militiamen stand ready with their weapons on July 6, 2019, at an informal demobilisation camp in Sevare run by Sekou Bolly, a local Fulani businessman whose goal is to take away young Fulani from the noose of jihadism. PHOTO | MARCO LONGARI | AFP
What you need to know:
- In the Mopti region, the Fulani are the biggest ethnic group and the most recruits to Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist cells.
- The deep poverty and isolation of the Fulani people have made many vulnerable to the siren call of the jihad.
- According to the UN, 70,000 people have fled their homes in Mopti over jihad-related violence.
Bamako
For centuries, the Fulani people trod the paths of the Sahel with their cattle, largely unnoticed by the rest of the world.
