At the crossroads of overlapping farming and livestock-rearing livelihoods zones, Central Mali has experienced disputes and inter-community conflicts since long before the onset of the ongoing political and security crisis. When animals destroy crops or graze on private property, or when farmers disagree on the boundaries of plots, disputes arise. While only a small minority of disputes lead to violence, the number of fatalities due to farmer-herder disputes has increased significantly since 2015. Unresolved disputes affect how future disputes are understood and can become woven into narratives regarding past grievances, political conflict, and even the role of extremist groups in the wider armed conflict. As such, even non-violent disputes pose a serious threat to intergroup relations and broader cohesion.
The USAID Salam (translation USAID Peace) peacebuilding activity will reduce the frequency and severity of dispute escalations in the villages of Ségou and Mopti to prevent broader-reaching or more violent conflicts.
