Mali’s military and armed groups committing abuses against civilians: HRW

Mali’s military and its Russian paramilitary allies have killed civilians in breach of international law, and opposition armed groups have done likewise, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.

Soldiers and fighters “are committing grave laws-of-war violations while international organisations and governments largely stand by”, the United States-based rights watchdog said in a report released on Monday.

It urged the African Union’s Peace and Security Council to “urgently take action to prevent further atrocities” in Mali.

The West African country has been mired in fighting and attacks since 2012 as the military and its allies have battled an array of armed groups, including Tuareg separatists, and criminal gangs.

The military government that has ruled Mali since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021 has turned to Russia for support, enlisting the services initially of fighters from the private Wagner Group, which became the state-controlled paramilitary group Africa Corps in 2025.

‘Scores of civilians’ killed

The rights group said its report was based on interviews with 30 people – witnesses, human rights defenders, community leaders, journalists and a Malian soldier – conducted from late July to mid-September.

“Mali’s military and the allied Russia-controlled Africa Corps … have killed and wounded scores of civilians in attacks and in custody in violation of international humanitarian law,” HRW said.

Armed groups “have also violated the laws-of-war, including torturing and executing captured Malian soldiers”, it added.

HRW said it documented two “apparently indiscriminate” drone attacks by the Malian military.

According to the report, a July 29 attack in the Kidal region of northeastern Mali destroyed part of a health facility, and a second on August 19 hit a market in the central region of Bandiagara, killing six civilians and wounding at least 20.

HRW said it also documented an operation against armed groups in the Segou region in the south, where Malian soldiers shot and killed five girls, and another in the central region of Mopti, where members of the military-allied Dozo militia killed three civilians, “all with impunity”.

Fighters ‘execute’ soldiers

HRW also cited an attack on a military convoy in the Gao region on July 18 by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and allied separatist fighters in the Azawad Liberation Front.

It said the two groups “tortured and executed at least 19 Malian troops” they had taken prisoner.

The JNIM acknowledged that prisoners were killed in the event but denied having ordered the deaths, HRW said.

The Azawad Liberation Front, HRW added, acknowledged fighting with the army and Russian forces in the northeastern region on the day but denied executing soldiers.

The HRW report also drew on research by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a nongovernmentsl group that gathers conflict data from around the world.

It said its data show 49 air strikes by Malian forces and the Africa Corps from April to August that killed 89 civilians, “more than double the 22 strikes and 44 civilian deaths reported during the same period last year”.

HRW said it sent a letter to Mali’s defence minister on August 5 with its findings and questions but received no response.