In a context of international silence and worrying refoulements, Azawadian refugees in Mauritania are launching an urgent appeal.
Victims of persecution, deprived of their most fundamental rights, and threatened with extradition to Mali, they denounce the violations they have suffered and demand justice, protection, and dignity.
Through this message relayed by Akal Vision, they call on the international community, human rights defenders, and the Azawad Liberation Front authorities to find a solution before it is too late.
There is more to read about the refugee crisis in the camps in Mauritania in this article.
The message in the video is this:
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
To the leaders of the United Nations,
international human rights organizations,
the international media,
the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania,
and all consciences that love justice.
May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.
We, a group of Azawadian refugees currently living in Mauritania, address this letter to you with the sincere hope that it will reach hearts still sensitive to justice, and to consciences that do not turn a blind eye to the stifled cries of the oppressed.
Driven from our land of Azawad, we fled the massacres, the destruction of our homes, and the blood of our loved ones—fathers, mothers, children—shed by the forces of the Malian regime. We found refuge in Mauritania hoping for a minimum of security and dignity, believing that our pain would be understood, that our humanity would be recognized.
But the reality we experience here is profoundly painful.
We are not treated as human beings seeking survival, but as a burden to be ignored.
We have no right to work, no access to a decent education, nor even the most basic healthcare.
Worse still, some of us have been arrested and repeatedly handed over to the Malian authorities, despite the obvious risks of persecution, torture, and even death to which they are exposed. Faced with this inhumane situation, we raise our voices—with pain but also with dignity—to demand what is rightfully ours:
We demand:
- Full recognition of our refugee status, in accordance with international conventions, notably the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1969 OAU Convention.
- An immediate halt to all extraditions or refoulement of refugees to Mali, in violation of the principle of non-refoulement.
- An urgent improvement in our living conditions, with real access to education, health care, and employment.
- The opening of an independent international investigation into the violations of our rights in Mauritania.
- Clear and firm support for our legitimate right to return to our homeland, Azawad, in complete safety and under international protection.
We call on the international community, human rights defenders, journalists, and all free voices to echo our cry.
Don’t look away.
We have already lost everything, except our dignity and the hope that there are still human beings capable of listening.
Akal Vision relays this appeal on behalf of the Azawadian people who have taken refuge in Mauritania, particularly at a time when forced refoulements are increasing amidst general indifference.
We also call on the leadership and diplomacy of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) to assume their historic responsibility by acting immediately and effectively to find a just and lasting solution to this humanitarian crisis, before it is too late.
Support us. Protect us. Listen to us.
Azawadian refugees in Mauritania
Azawad Support Group
10-07-25