Mali army and allied militias accused of deadly village attacks
Soldiers from the Malian Armed Forces and allied militias have been accused of killing at least 31 civilians and burning homes in two villages in central Mali during October raids, according to local accounts.
On October 2, troops accompanied by dozos—traditional hunters from the Bambara ethnic group who have supported counterinsurgency efforts for over a decade—allegedly executed at least 21 men and torched over 10 homes in Kamona. Witnesses reported that the army and militiamen summarily shot villagers after accusing them of aiding the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-linked faction controlling the area. Residents claimed JNIM fighters had warned them of the approaching forces, prompting many to flee before the violence erupted.
« The October killings in Ségou are the latest in a pattern of abuses tied to the Malian military and its allied militias, » said a regional analyst familiar with the incidents. « Authorities must launch a thorough, impartial investigation and hold those responsible to account through fair judicial processes. »
Villagers described how soldiers in camouflage uniforms, alongside dozos wearing traditional amulets, stormed Kamona around 10 a.m. in seven pickup trucks and three armored vehicles. Survivors recounted that men who couldn’t escape were gathered and shot. « Those who remained were executed on the spot, » one survivor told investigators. No clashes between JNIM and state forces were reported in the village that day.
By evening, residents found 17 bodies beneath a tree and four more north of Kamona. They described discovering bullet-riddled corpses, including one with a crushed skull, and shell casings scattered nearby. A 40-year-old herder, who hid with his 9-year-old daughter, later recounted the horrors: « The people had been shot repeatedly. One man’s head was completely destroyed. »
A 39-year-old man helped bury the dead, describing two mass graves: « We dug one under the tree for the 17 men. Further north, we found four more bodies—all shot in the chest and head—so we buried them separately under sand. » The list of victims, provided by locals, included 21 men aged 20 to 65. Some villagers alleged an additional 15 men were killed in surrounding bushland, though they avoided confirming the details out of fear.
On October 13, a similar attack unfolded in Balle, 55 kilometers away. Soldiers in five pickup trucks and dozos on at least 30 motorcycles descended on the village around 1 p.m., triggering panic. « I didn’t flee immediately, but when I saw soldiers going door-to-door and assaulting men, I ran, » a 24-year-old man recalled. « From my hiding place, I heard gunfire. »
Witnesses said the forces killed 10 civilians, including a 55-year-old woman, and stole over 100 cattle. A 33-year-old man found the bodies the next morning: « They lay side by side, riddled with bullets. Some had broken limbs. » The woman’s 21-year-old daughter described her mother’s final moments: « She confronted the soldiers, accusing them of abusing villagers. They took her to where the men were held and shot her. »
The Malian military has denied wrongdoing, claiming its October 13 operation in Balle was an « offensive reconnaissance » that « neutralized around twenty terrorists » and seized weapons. However, locals disputed this, stating that Balle has been under JNIM control for years. « We pay zakat to them annually, » one resident said. « They settle disputes, provide security—there are no soldiers here. The army treats everyone as if we’re JNIM fighters. »
Since 2012, Mali’s successive governments have waged war against Islamist armed groups, leaving thousands of civilians dead and displacing over 402,000 people. Reports have documented widespread abuses by state forces, allied militias, and mercenary groups, as well as atrocities committed by JNIM and other factions.
The October attacks followed a JNIM siege on Bamako beginning in early September, cutting off fuel supplies to the capital and forcing the military junta to temporarily shutter schools and universities nationwide. International humanitarian law prohibits attacks on civilians, extrajudicial killings, and cruel treatment—crimes that may constitute war crimes if proven deliberate.
Though Mali withdrew from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in September 2023, it remains bound by the Rome Statute until September 2026. The ICC opened an investigation into alleged war crimes in Mali in 2013. Meanwhile, the African Union (AU) has faced criticism for its limited response to the escalating conflict, with its Peace and Security Council issuing only statements of concern despite its mandate to uphold peace and security.
« The AU Peace and Security Council must prioritize Mali’s crisis, » the regional analyst urged. « It should convene regular briefings, intensify diplomatic efforts, and coordinate regional and international actions to ensure accountability for abuses by all parties. »
