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West and Central Africa, Middle East and North Africa, East and Horn of Africa, Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Monthly Regional Update - October 2018

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Regional Flow Monitoring Network

30 FMPs and nine mobile FMPs are currently operational in seven countries.

In Burkina Faso, data was collected from five FMPs during the month of October 2018. An average of 1,117 individuals were observed crossing Flow Monitoring Points daily - a slight decrease of three per cent from the September figures.

Across all FMPs in the country, travellers had mainly departed from Burkina Faso (84%), Niger (7%) and Togo (6%). The three primary destinations of migrants were Côte d’Ivoire (46%), Niger (29%) and Burkina Faso (16%). The reasons for migration were evenly split between individuals who reported conducting shortterm economic migration (32%), individuals who reported carrying out longterm economic migration (30%) and those who mentioned performing seasonal migration (30%). Travellers were primarily from Burkina Faso (60%), Niger (28%) and Mali (4%).

In Chad, data is gathered at the Faya, Kalait and Zouarke Flow Monitoring Points. Over the reporting period, an average of 543 individuals per day were recorded, a 26 per cent decrease since September 2018. This decline in movements has been observed since August 2018 and is a result of the closure of gold panning sites in the Tibesti region and the requirement that all migrants leave the areas surrounding the sites. Following these announcements, government security forces took control of multiple areas in the region, which has led to a reduction in mobility in the region.
Seventy-two per cent of observed travellers were adult men (an 11% decrease from the previous month), fourteen per cent were adult women and fourteen per cent were children (double the share observed in September 2018). Almost all individuals identified (99%) were from Chad. All observed flows were internal movements within Chad. The primary types of migration were economic migration (long-term and short-term economic migration represented 73% of flows) and seasonal migration (18%). The stark decline in the share of conflict-induced migration, which fell from 25 per cent to 9 per cent of flows over the course of a month, is a result of the country’s stabilization following a spate of intercommunal clashes in recent months.

In Guinea, data is collected at three FMPs located in Boundoufourdou (along the border with Senegal), Kouremale and Nafadji (both along the border with Mali), which observe flows to and from Mali and Senegal. In October 2018, a daily average of 709 individuals was witnessed at the FMPs, a similar number to the previous month. The largest share of migrants observed (81%) were Guinean nationals, while the rest originated from a variety of countries in the West and Central Africa region (including 4% from Senegal, another 4% from Mali and 2% from Sierra Leone). A significant share of the observed migrants were children (23%), which contrasts with other countries in the region where the number of children and infants observed at FMPs is lower.
The highest share of individuals observed (49%) were entering the country. For the first time in over a year, Mali, where 13 per cent of flows were headed, was not the primary country of destination; in October 2018 it was Senegal with 32 per cent of observed flows. The main reasons for migration were long-term economic migration (47% of flows), short-term local movements (42%) and seasonal migration (7%).

In Mali, the Gogui FMP, located at the border between Mali and Mauritania, observes mobility flows between the two countries while the Sevare, Menaka, Inhalid (in Kidal region), Timbuktu, Place Kidal and Wabaria (in the city of Gao) FMPs mainly capture travellers heading towards Algeria or traveling within Mali. Average daily flows observed in October 2018, which stood at 244 individuals, were stable compared to the previous month. Eighty per cent of observed individuals were adult men, while 14 per cent were women and 6 per cent were children. The countries of origin and destination were likewise similar to the previous month: 80 per cent of travellers identified came from Mali (54%), Guinea (13%), Côte d’Ivoire (6%), Senegal (4%) and The Gambia (3%), and the main countries of destination of travellers were Mali (39%), Mauritania (27%) and Algeria (18%). These numbers confirm the trend of higher migration rates to Mauritania and Algeria which started two months ago. A large majority of migrants (96%) were performing economic migration.

In Nigeria, the Sokoto FMP captures flows between Nigeria and Niger (to Maradi, Tahoua, and Agadez mainly) with observed travellers split between those departing Nigeria for Niger and those arriving to Nigeria from Niger. The Kano FMP captures flows between Nigeria and Niger, Chad, and in smaller numbers, Cameroon. Observed flows are mainly composed of outflows from Nigeria to Niger, or internal travel within Nigeria. In October 2018, an average of 1,472 travellers was observed daily at the Kano and Sokoto FMPs, an 11 per cent increase compared to the figure observed in September. This is the first time since July 2018 that such a large increase was recorded. The majority of observed individuals (65%) were adult males, while 19 per cent were adult women and 16 per cent were children, a two per cent increase from the previous month. Notably, 14 per cent of travellers were elderly. Travellers were primarily carrying out short-term movements (39% of flows), long-term economic migration (34%) or seasonal migration (18%).

In Niger, a total of 34,751 individuals were observed at the six FMPs in October 2018, or an average of 1,121 individuals per day, representing a decrease of five per cent since September 2018. The majority of individuals observed at the six FMPs were Nigerien nationals (79%), with the next most-represented nationalities being Nigerian (12%), Chadian (2%) and Sudanese (1.5%). The largest share of the observed population (69%) were adult men, although their share fell by three per cent since the previous month. In addition, 13 per cent of observed individuals were children. The primary reasons for migration were short-term local movements (reported by 51% of travellers), economic migration of more than six months (24%) and seasonal migration (13%).
Most travellers (77%, up from 72% in September 2018) were coming from locations within Niger, followed by Nigeria (14%, down from 16%) and Libya (8%, down from 11%). These three countries were also the primary destination countries: 71 per cent of observed travellers were coming to Niger, up by 9 per cent from the previous month, while 15 per cent were going to Nigeria (down by 4%) and 13 per cent to Libya (down by 4%). In line with a trend observed over the past five months, no travel between Niger and Algeria was observed.

In Senegal, data collected at the only FMP in the country, set up in Tambacounda, shows that, on average, 496 individuals were observed at the FMP, an increase of four per cent from the previous month (18 individuals). Fifty per cent of travellers were adult men, a smaller number than that observed at FMPs in other countries in the region, while a comparatively large share (42%) were adult women and eight per cent were children, including three per cent of children under five years old. A vast proportion of observed individuals (91%) were headed towards locations within Senegal, primarily to towns bordering neighbouring countries, such as Mali, Mauritania,
Guinea or The Gambia, while the rest were headed towards Mali, The Gambia or Burkina Faso. Most of the observed individuals (69%) were Senegalese nationals, but there were also a number of individuals from Mali (21%) and Guinea (5%).