In the African nation of Mali, “the army and the Wagner group are committing atrocities against civilians.” This is the finding and heading of the report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on March 28, 2024.
The Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) and the Russian paramilitary group “have illegally killed and summarily executed several dozen civilians during counter-terrorism operations” in the country’s north and center since December, according to the human rights organization.
In total, seven cases of atrocities are documented. In Konokassi, Ségou region, for example, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), “a Malian drone bombed an outdoor wedding ceremony” on January 16. The next day, another strike occurred at the cemetery during burials. The total toll: 14 killed, including four children, but no members of JNIM, according to several witnesses cited in the report, who themselves lament being forced to submit to the daily oppression of jihadists.
HRW also details the case of 25 people, including four children, arrested in Welingara, near Nara, on January 26. They were all found burned in a mass grave. The day before, Malian soldiers and their Wagner auxiliaries had summarily executed seven villagers in Attara, Tombouctou region. Witnesses interviewed by HRW explain that the Russians outnumbered the Malians, that they executed unarmed men trying to flee, and then looted market shops, taking goods and money.
Deliberate Cruelty
Dakka Sebe and Nienanpela in the Ségou region, Dioura, and Gathi Loumou in the Mopti region: Human Rights Watch documents other cases and concludes that “the Malian army and fighters of the Wagner group have shown deliberate cruelty towards Malian civilians, which should be investigated as war crimes.”