Marionette Festival Draws Crowds in Bamako Despite Jihadi Threats

West Africa WeeklyNovember 14, 20251 Mins read832

Under a pale November sky, and despite weeks of fuel shortages that have stalled cars, shuttered schools, and darkened parts of the capital, Bamako’s streets came alive with colour and music as giant puppets marched through neighbourhoods during the three-day Rendez-Vous Chez Nous festival.

The event, now in its ninth year and organised by the puppet-and-dance collective Nama, unfolded from November 6 to 8, even as jihadist-linked militants tightened a fuel blockade that has worsened daily life for millions. Yet the festival pushed ahead, drawing crowds who lined the streets for a brief escape from the tension gripping the city.

Festival director Yacouba Magassaouba said the decision to proceed was deliberate.

We are artists, we fight through our art. We will not abandon our activities because cancelling this festival would mean that the jihadis have won, he told reporters as performers prepared their route.

Over 200 puppets, towering figures of women, animals, and mythical characters crafted from fabric, wood, and wire, were used. Their exaggerated features and bright colours brought bursts of life to the dusty roads, with children laughing and adults recording the spectacle on their phones. For many, it was a rare moment of joy amid simmering uncertainty.

The parade wound through residential districts, where fuel queues snaked around blocks and many businesses had reduced hours because of the shortage. Still, residents stepped out of their homes to watch, clap and cheer, turning the procession into a collective act of defiance against fear and isolation.

Mali’s cultural sector has been under immense strain, squeezed between economic collapse, insecurity and dwindling international support. However, for the artists who built and animated the giant figures, the festival was a reminder that culture remains a vital thread holding the community together.

By the final evening, relief and quiet pride settled over the crowd as the puppets were lowered from their frames and performers packed away drums and costumes. Even in a city under pressure, they had claimed their space, and for a few days, the marionettes’ strings carried hope, resilience and the stubborn insistence that Mali’s stories will continue to be told.

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