They were welcomed, at the beginning of last week, to Menaka after several years spent at the Mangaïze camp in the Tillabery region in Niger.
In all, there are 763 returnees who arrived after 48 hours of travel between Ansongo and Menaka and 36 hours for others. One of the six trucks carrying these people broke down 165 km from destination. “Each vehicle had more than 100 passengers. It was on this road that we had problems. The engine of the first vehicle has completely run down”, said the convoy leader, Agaly Bouba, to the Sahelien.com correspondent. Adding: “despite the fatigue, I feel comfortable”.
They voluntarily left the refugee camp after seven years. According to some, the security situation in Mali as in Niger is the same. “It is better to come back home to contribute to the development of Menaka,” said one of them. According to the convoy leader, some people still remain at the camp.
According to an official of the social development service, the registration of these people will be done in the coming days.
On January 9, a hundred returnees returned to Anderamboukane, located 95 km from Menaka.
Sahelien.com