Sahel violence drives 72,000 to flee Burkina Faso for Ivory Coast in 2025
Violence in the Sahel is forcing thousands to flee their homes, with many herders arriving in Ivory Coast. Between January and March 2025 alone, over 72,000 people escaped Burkina Faso and Mali for safer ground. Most have little hope of returning anytime soon.
Armed militants have targeted livestock, leaving herders with nothing. In 2020, Nouhoun Sidibè lost his entire herd to raiders in northern Burkina Faso. Two years later, Tanané Ibrahim’s sheep and cattle were seized in a similar attack, forcing him to abandon his village.
The exodus has pushed many toward Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s largest city. Sidibè now assists cattle sellers with vaccinations, while Ibrahim and others struggle to adjust to urban life. Most of the displaced come from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—countries gripped by conflict between military regimes and armed groups.
The crisis shows no signs of easing, and the flow of migrants into Ivory Coast continues. Herders like Ibrahim and Sidibè have left behind empty villages, their livelihoods destroyed. For now, cities like Abidjan remain their only refuge.
