Another (Peace Corps Country) Bites the Dust

I remember that living in the States, one would often hear about foreign countries suddenly erupting in violence, or staging a coup, or generally fall apart for some reason. Well, living here in Mali, the experience is brought a little closer to home. Not to say that Mali is on the brink of state collapse any time soon, but as another African Peace Corps program is closed this week, one starts to wonder about the future stability of the other countries around, and yes, even one's own country. This week, Bamako is hosting 90+ volunteers from Guinea- yes, that Guinea, the one I just went to and had a lovely time despite the crazy leadership in power. In case some of you missed the violence last month(and I know some of you did): during an opposition rally in Conakry in September, the military decided to open fire, killing over 150 people. Well, despite the leader in charge claiming he had no idea it was going to happen, the fact that elections keep getting pushed back and opponents keep getting harassed or worse, convinced PC headquarters to shut the program down. Hence, the "refugees" hanging out here in Bamako. What happens to them now? you may ask. Some go home to the States; some join the post PC program, Peace Corps Response; some go to other countries in the area, to start afresh; and some are staying in Mali. This is actually the third time Mali has received "refugees" from a former Peace Corps African nation. Seven months ago, we got six volunteers from Madasgascar, after the political upheaval there. Two months ago we had several volunteers move to Mali after Mauritania essentially kicked them out; one girl is now my neighbor. We joke about the coups going on around us and moving about countries, but it is true there has been one volunteer moved around three countries in as many months here. So we wonder about what will happen now and what country is going to shut down next, and hope it isn't our own. Because I would personally be very, very pissed if I had to leave before I got to install those solar panels on my clinic's roof.