- BIST10011,483+1.32%
- USD50.07+0.05%
- EUR55.96-0.52%
- GOLD4,074.90-0.94%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN75,680-0.10%
- November 8, 20267°
- BIST10011,483+1.32%
- USD50.07+0.05%
- EUR55.96-0.52%
- GOLD4,074.90-0.94%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN75,680-0.10%
- November 8, 20267°
FOSAPMA distributes hot meals in Bamako to arrivals from Guinea after gold-mining ban
The FOSAPMA Foundation for Solidarity and Assistance to the Malian People is supporting Mali’s efforts to assist refugees arriving from Guinea by distributing hot meals in Bamako, the Turkish Embassy announced. The aid comes after people of various nationalities began arriving in Mali following Guinea’s ban on illegal gold prospecting in the Siguiri area.
The Foundation for Solidarity and Assistance to the Malian People, FOSAPMA, has supported from the outset the efforts of the Malian people and government to assist “refugees arriving from Guinea,” the Turkish Embassy in Bamako announced in a post in French on the X platform, accompanied by photographs and two videos of the food distribution operations.
The footage shows dozens of young men sitting on the ground in a dirt courtyard between buildings, while volunteers wearing reflective vests move among them. A vehicle displaying the flags of Mali and Türkiye is parked beside them, with a sign in Turkish reading “Hot Meal Distribution Project – Mali/Bamako.”
Arrivals followed Siguiri mining ban
The aid comes after the Guinean government announced a comprehensive ban on illegal gold prospecting in the Siguiri administrative region, citing “a worrying deterioration of the environment.” It also deployed a permanent force comprising the army, gendarmerie, police and customs officials, and began checking the identities and residency permits of foreigners, Guinee 360 reported. The website added that a number of foreigners living in the area irregularly, including Burkinabe nationals, had left for Mali.
Following an emergency meeting held on Nov. 3 at the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, Mali’s Crisis Coordination and Management Center (CECOGEC) announced that it had detected a “large influx” of nationals of various countries crossing the border from Guinea toward the capital, Bamako, confirming that the situation was “caused by measures taken by the Guinean authorities.” Malian authorities said the foreign nationals who crossed the border were “being received with dignity” and that a plan had been drawn up to transport them in an organized manner to their countries of origin. They called on residents of border areas to show “calm, serenity and civic spirit.”
According to the Burkina Faso News Agency, Ouagadougou is organizing the return of “several thousand” of its citizens, whom it said had been expelled from Guinea, and announced that it would send a government delegation to Mali on Nov. 4 to assist them. The Guinean government, meanwhile, affirmed that the operations would be conducted in accordance with the applicable “laws and regulations” and that it guaranteed the freedom of movement of people and their property.
The photographs show volunteers wearing shirts bearing the foundation’s name and the Malian flag, ladling rice and meat from large pots cooked over wood fires into colorful containers for distribution to the arrivals.
A foundation with Turkish ties
On its Turkish-language website, FOSAPMA describes itself as an organization that has carried out educational and humanitarian activities in Mali since 2010. These include drilling water wells, distributing food, hosting iftar meals, providing sacrificial meat and health assistance, as well as operating educational institutions, a cultural center and Turkish-language courses. It says it seeks to strengthen brotherhood and cultural ties between Türkiye and Mali. The Turkish Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Foundation has previously described FOSAPMA as its partner in Mali.
The second video released by the embassy shows nighttime scenes of volunteers in reflective vests distributing food containers among a crowd of arrivals under artificial lights.
Mali already hosts large numbers of refugees. According to figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 322,584 refugees and asylum seekers were in the country as of Sept. 30, in addition to more than 414,000 internally displaced people. Most of the refugees come from Burkina Faso.
Photos and video: Turkish Embassy in Bamako
Stay Updated with Hilal Times
Subscribe to be informed about special news, developments and announcements. We will keep you informed.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy
