In Mali, new allegations were brought against the Malian army and its auxiliaries of the paramilitary group Wagner that Bamako presents as “Russian instructors”. Twenty people were reportedly killed during an operation in the village of Ouenkoro, in the center of the country.
The operation took place a week ago, on March 23 and 24, 2023, in the commune of Ouenkoro, in the circle of Bankass, in the Mopti region. According to several civilian and security sources, local and international, the Malian military and their Russian auxiliaries launched their attack on the occasion of the weekly fair day.
A strategy that has become usual is the army targeting the jihadists when they come to refuel, but which exposes all the civilians also present traders, customers, and inhabitants of Ouenkoro or surrounding municipalities.
Helicopters
The joined sources describe the arrival of helicopters, which opened fire on people who started running. This was followed by sweeping operations on the ground, house by house.
Twenty-two to 26 people, according to the sources, were killed. Arrests also took place – no figures could be cross-checked at this stage – and shops were set on fire.
In a press release published last Friday, the Malian army reports numerous operations carried out since March 12: “airborne operations”, “offensive reconnaissance missions”, “air strikes”…