The children of Azawad: forgotten victims of a silent war.
In the picture on top: These children sell dates to to try to help themselves and their mothers survive because their fathers has been killed and they ended up in a refugee camp along the Algerian border.
In the vast desert expanses of Azawad and the Sahel, a silent tragedy is unfolding, marked by blind bombings, displaced populations, and shattered lives.
Children, symbols of the future and hope, are among the first victims of this blind violence.
Their fate is a call: what if they were our children?
A father carrying his injured son to get medical help. Tinzawatine, and drone attack on civilians, mostly children, by Mali.
A region plagued by instability.
Azawad, where the dream of self-determination and the struggle for recognition of the rights of local populations are met with brutal military repression. Since the recent coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the region has been plunged into increased instability.
Military regimes, under the cover of the fight against terrorism, are carrying out operations that indiscriminately strike combatants and civilians. Villages are bombed, children and the elderly are often targeted.
Just last week, a girl succumbed to her injuries in Tamarasset following bombings by the central regime in Bamako.
The role of international actors.
This tragedy is exacerbated by the involvement of foreign actors. The Wagner group, known for its extremely brutal methods, operates alongside local armies.
Turkey, also perceived as a defender of Muslim causes, provides material support to these regimes. This dual stance, between defending Palestine and complicity in the violence in the Sahel, raises questions about the hypocrisy of geopolitical discourse.
Strategic alliances in the Sahel, justified by the fight against armed groups, often result in sacrificing civilian populations.
Humanitarian NGOs, although essential in these contexts, are sometimes denied access to the most affected areas, further aggravating the suffering.
Children: the first victims of violence.
Injured by Wagner and Fama drones – and Turkey, since they sell these drones to the Malian authorities knowing fully well that they use them to kill and injure civilians including children like this boy.
The consequences for the children of Azawad are disastrous.
Deprived of access to education, exposed to the trauma of war, they are condemned to grow up in an environment where fear and insecurity reign. Destroyed hospitals and the blockade of NGOs prevent any assistance. Each child victim of this violence represents a stolen future, a broken dream.
A universal question: “What if it were your children?”
This simple question reveals the extent of international indifference.
In the face of these injustices, the global community often seems to turn a blind eye. Yet, the children of Azawad are no different from those anywhere else in the world.
They aspire to a peaceful life, education, and opportunities for a better future.
What paths to hope?
To end this tragedy, several actions are necessary:
International advocacy: Raise awareness among international organizations and governments to commit to protecting civilian populations.
Access to NGOs: Lift the bans that prevent humanitarian organizations from providing vital aid.
Mobilization of people: Encourage solidarity among populations around the world to put pressure on leaders and demand justice.
Azawad and the Sahel cannot be abandoned. The fate of children in these regions challenges all of humanity. These children deserve to be offered the possibility of a future, far from bombs, fear and repression.
Refusing to see them means accepting that this tragedy could happen again elsewhere. The emergency is here, the responsibility is collective.
Alyad N Toumast
20-11-24
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