Mali: MSF Ambulance 'Violently Detained'

Mali: MSF Ambulance ‘Violently Detained’

By Development Diaries
January 8, 2021

One patient died after armed men ‘violently detained’ a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) ambulance transporting patients in central Mali, the humanitarian organisation said.

The incident, according to MSF, happened on 05 January, while the MSF ambulance was on its way to the general hospital in Sévaré with three patients.

Development Diaries gathered that the patients had been seriously injured in the bombing of 03 January in Douentza region.

‘A nurse from the Ministry of Health, a caretaker and a driver were also in the vehicle’, MSF said in a statement on its website.

‘The armed men tied them up, assaulted them and left them in the harsh sun for several hours before finally releasing them. One of the patients, a man aged in his 60s, died during his detention’.

Central Mali is now the deadliest region in the country for civilians, as violence has intensified considerably over the past three years.

The country’s government is engaged in several armed conflicts with various groups that it has identified as terrorist organisations.

It is understood that farmers in the communities of Fulani and Dogon farmers are the main victims of the killings, destruction and pillaging.

Reports say the area presents an alarming picture of people injured, fatalities, and people forced to leave their homes.

From June to October 2020 in Douentza, Koro, Bandiagara and Bankass, there were 82 attacks on villages, 68 other incidents and 21 population displacements, with a total of 222 civilians killed, according to MSF.

MSF condemned the recent violence against its workers and patients and called on all parties to the conflict to respect humanitarian and medical action and the civilian population.

‘We are very shocked and call on the parties to the conflict to respect the ambulances, medical staff, patients and their carers. Medical vehicles must be allowed to transport patients safely’, the statement quoted MSF Head of Mission in Mali, Juan Cano, as saying.

MSF said its teams had earlier this week treated several seriously injured patients from Bounty and Kikara villages (northeast of Douentza) at the Douentza referral health centre.

It was gathered that the patients, mostly elderly men, had injuries from explosions, shards of metal and gunshot wounds.

Source: MSF