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Mali’s armed forces, supported by the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, have been accused of committing serious abuses against civilians following the withdrawal of a U.N. peacekeeping mission last year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released Thursday.
The report alleges that Malian forces and Wagner mercenaries deliberately killed at least 32 civilians, including seven in a drone strike, kidnapped four others, and burned over 100 homes in central and northern Mali since May. HRW also accused jihadist groups in the region of executing at least 47 civilians, displacing thousands, burning homes, and looting vital livestock.
“The Malian army, alongside the Wagner Group, and Islamist armed groups have been targeting civilians and their property in violation of the laws of war,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at HRW.
Mali has been battling a jihadist insurgency for over a decade, alongside neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. The conflict involves groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State. In recent years, military coups in all three countries have led to the expulsion of French forces, with the ruling juntas turning to Russia’s Wagner Group for security support.
The Wagner Group, operating in Mali since late 2021, has replaced French troops and U.N. peacekeepers in counter-insurgency operations. However, it has faced repeated allegations of complicity in civilian attacks, including raids and drone strikes.
The situation has worsened since the U.N.’s peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, ended in December 2022 at the government’s request. The junta had criticized MINUSMA as inadequate in addressing the insurgency.
“Since MINUSMA’s withdrawal, it has become extremely challenging to obtain comprehensive information on abuses, and we fear the reality is even grimmer than reported,” Allegrozzi warned.
The ongoing violence underscores the precarious security situation in the Sahel region, with civilians bearing the brunt of clashes between state forces, mercenaries, and jihadist groups. Human rights organizations have called for increased monitoring and accountability to protect Mali’s vulnerable populations.
