Despite the security issues that have affected the Timbuktu region since 2012, many breeders had chosen to stay with their livestock in Mali. But today, they are flocking into the refugee camp of M’berra in Mauritania, the most important of all Malian refugee camps in the region with between 50 to 70 000 persons.

Indeed, these last two years have been marked by a severe lack of rainfall. 2014 has been the harshest for breeders in terms of cattle’s mortality. The rainy season, which is often called wintering or ‘hivernage’ as short and has covered pasture zones in a piecemeal manner.

Among newcomers at M’berra, Mohamed Elhadi Ag Elmehdy is a cattle breeder from Lere(Timbuktu region) who came to Mauritania to buy food for his stock.

‘’Today, cattle feeds really poorly and many animals are sick. As pasture is failing, we manage and get animal to eat the dry branches of acacias trees and euphorbia. » He adds: «I am very pessimistic for those who are counting on the remains of dried grass in pasture land or who holds few animals left alive. Before this crisis, I had 500 cows, I’ve lost 450, I’ve got 50 heads left and the majority are only weak calves. Cattle breeders have to sell several heads so they can feed the remaining cattle.”

For Mohamed Elhadi Ag Elmehdy, the most crucial worry for breeders is to preserve cattle until the next rain season while at the same time caring for their family. He continues: «If I want to save my stock and to provide for my family this year, I think I’ll have to sell three quarters of my cattle. And even worse, with this situation, prices have collapse drastically: today, one cow can be sold around 10 000 CFA (18 euros) at the market in Lere or Lerneb. »

Mohamed Ag Intagrist comes from the commune of Raz Elma in the Goudam district North of Mali where he bred cows. Today, he settled in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, he has become a carpet cleaner. « When it lacks sufficient pastureland, the cattle die of stress, lack of vitamins and attacks of vermin. »

Many families in distress are taking shelter with their livestock in Mauritania where the price of cattle is slightly higher.

Mahmoud Ag Mohamed, who comes from Tin-Aïcha in the North of Mali also, had to escape from his country. He settled in the vicinity of Nouakchott where he found a job as a herdsman: ’’Situation is worsened by the fact that due to the regular insecurity we cannot reach pasturelands in the south, close to the river Niger, in the regions Gourma and Mema’’ he regrets, adding: « Moreover, dealers in the South who used to sell cattle feed in the North, are not coming to us any longer because of attacks and abuses. »

In 2012, the Timbuktu region has been occupied by jihadi movements AQIM and Ansar ’din when armed groups took over the North of Mali. French military action in 2013 helped chase AQIM and Ansar ‘din away but the population has since accused the returning Malian military to commit abuses on civilians who they suspect to belong to rebel groups. This in turn has provoked a new wave of population’s exodus to Mauritania. Today, the flux of these new climate refugees swells the ranks of the civilians who previously escaped war and conflict and still leave in precarious conditions. And water resources which are spanning the border between Mauritania and Mali are now threatened to be depleted with the arrival of more cattle. The risk of yet another conflict is arising, this time between desperate herdsmen.