The government of Mali has expressed strong condemnation regarding the violent treatment of its citizens recently deported from neighboring Mauritania.
Malian authorities stated their outrage during a press conference held in Bamako on Wednesday, decrying the “flagrant violation of human rights.”
Mauritania has been conducting deportations of undocumented migrants, primarily from West African nations, for several weeks.
Mali’s government lamented the arrest conditions, asserting they violate fundamental human rights and the specific rights of migrants.
They urged Mauritanian authorities to exercise restraint and immediately cease all violence directed towards Malian nationals.
Rights groups, including SOS Esclaves, have also denounced the “inhumane” conditions of the arrests.
According to Mali’s Minister for Malians Living Abroad, over 1,800 Malian migrants have been deported from Mauritania in recent weeks.
While Mauritania claims these are routine deportations of undocumented individuals, the campaign has triggered regional concern.
Mali’s foreign minister visited Mauritania on Thursday to emphasize the importance of maintaining friendly relations between the two nations.
Mauritania’s foreign minister, however, insisted on his country’s right to take necessary measures to ensure its security and protect its citizens.
Despite the tensions, the Malian government affirmed that talks with Mauritania would continue to preserve their long-standing historical ties.