Mali: human rights watch accuses all parties of grave abuses against civilians
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on June 29 accusing the JNIM jihadist coalition, the FLA Tuareg rebels, the Malian army, and the Russian-backed Africa Corps of committing serious abuses against civilians since the coordinated attacks that shook northern and central Mali in late April.
The rights organization states that all warring parties have unlawfully targeted civilians, with some also destroying and looting homes and businesses. The violence erupted after JNIM and FLA fighters launched a major offensive against junta positions, leaving at least 13 civilians dead and 25 wounded in Gao and Kidal, according to HRW.
A 38-year-old resident of Kidal recounted being caught in the crossfire. “I was hit by bullets in my right shoulder and left thigh,” he said, unable to identify who fired, as shots came from every direction.
Executions, drone strikes, and destruction
HRW also documents that JNIM fighters set fire to more than 40 civilian vehicles between May 6 and May 21 on roads leading to Bamako, and publicly executed a man in the town of Tonka. A local resident told the organization, “We retrieved his body with a bullet in the head.”
The Malian army is accused of killing 38 civilians—including 23 children—during operations against Peul communities in central Mali. The report also mentions two suspected drone strikes in Guimbé and Tené. “I heard a noise from the sky and then an explosion,” a Tené resident said. “We saw enormous damage, with dead and wounded.”
To compile its findings, HRW conducted 34 remote interviews and analyzed satellite imagery, videos, and photographs. The group says it contacted Malian authorities but received no response. JNIM commented that “there can be no war without human costs,” while the FLA stated it had taken sufficient measures to prevent civilians from becoming collateral damage.
