ANKARA
Turkey's Ambassador in Nouakchott Musa Kulaklikaya has stated that the number of refugees in Mauritania affected by the military operations in Mali have reached 70,000 and the Malians were worried about "ethnic cleansing and revenge."
While the French-led Mali operation initiated last month to fight against the armed forces in northern Mali continues, Malians affected by the conflict continue to seek refuge in neighboring countries.
Turkey's Ambassador in Nouakchott Musa Kulaklikaya told AA that the number of refugees in Mauritania, Mali's neighbor with the longest border, have reached 70,000 and 300 to 500 Malian refugees came to the refuge camps in Mauritania every day.
Kulaklikaya stated that the women and children made up the majority of the refugees in the camps and said that 42 international institutions with 500 personnel were operating under coordination of the United Nations.
Kulaklikaya also said that due to the limited sources of the Mauritanian government, Malian refugees were mainly supported by the UN, and countries like Morocco and Algeria provided help occasionally.
Emphasizing that the Mauritanian government was working hard to protect the long border with Mali, Kulaklikaya said, "Mauritanian authorities are worried about approximately 2,000 armed forces crossing the border. Therefore, soldiers have been accumulated at the border and security measures are tightened across the country."
Reporting by Neslihan Dogan
