Inside Story

What’s behind the ethnic violence in Mali?

Dozens of villagers are killed months after a similar attack, raising fears of further ethnic fighting.

Ethnic tension is threatening to further destabilise Mali.

Violence is worsening in the long-running dispute between the Dogon and Fulani people – and armed groups linked to al-Qaeda are exploiting the unrest.

Dozens of people were killed in a village home to Dogon farmers when men armed with machetes and guns attacked on Sunday.

The attack is similar to the ransacking of a Fulani village in March, where nearly 160 died.

What is behind these killings and why can’t the government protect Malians?

Presenter: Martine Dennis

Guests:

Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim – Consulting analyst, International Crisis Group

Paul Melly – Consulting fellow, Chatham House international affairs think-tank

Tor Benjaminsen – Professor of political ecology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences