Mali has long been known for its music, dance, and cultural festivals, despite an ongoing insurgency that has halted most tourism. Two military coups since 2020 and delayed elections led West African nations to impose economic sanctions against Mali which Europe has supported. Lou was invited to Mali’s Fari Foni Waati dance festival this year, arriving by bus on January 9. That same day, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, imposed travel and economic sanctions on Mali, closing land and air borders between Mali and its West African neighbors. The Ogobagna Festival is a week-long Dogon cultural festival held on the Niger riverbank in Bamako, in its seventh year.

Source: Ethiopian News February 01, 2022 07:17 UTC