Human Rights Watch reports Africa Corps killed nine civilians, including four children, in Mali
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Human Rights Watch said Thursday that Russia-linked Africa Corps fighters summarily killed nine civilians, including four children, in Bombori village in Mali's Mopti region on July 10. The rights group called on Malian authorities to investigate the killings and hold all those responsible to account, including military personnel present during the abuses.
Key Facts
- Human Rights Watch said in a Thursday statement that Africa Corps fighters killed nine civilians, including four children, in Bombori village, Mopti region, on July 10.
- More than 100 Africa Corps fighters rounded up at least 80 men and boys in Bombori and beat them during interrogations about links to armed groups, HRW said.
- Six civilians were shot as they tried to escape, and three others were detained and executed, one beheaded, according to HRW.
- Malian soldiers were present during the beatings and interrogations, and HRW said the military government appeared to have given Africa Corps a green light to kill civilians.
- Bamako has fought a civil war since 2012, and residents told HRW that JNIM has controlled Bombori since 2017 but was absent on the day of the killings.
The Bombori Killings
On July 10, more than 100 Africa Corps fighters entered Bombori village in the central Mopti region of Mali. The fighters rounded up at least 80 men and boys and beat them while interrogating them about alleged links to armed groups. Malian soldiers were present during the beatings and interrogations, HRW said. Six civilians were shot and killed as they tried to escape, while three others were detained and executed. One of the detained civilians was beheaded, HRW said.
HRW Allegations and Accountability Demands
Human Rights Watch interviewed witnesses to the alleged atrocities between July 19 and 30. In a statement published Thursday, HRW accused Africa Corps of carrying out the killings in the presence of Malian soldiers at the beginning of last month. Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at HRW, said the Malian military government appears to have given Russian Africa Corps forces a green light to kill civilians. Allegrozzi said Malian authorities cannot evade legal responsibility by leaving atrocities to Africa Corps and must promptly investigate the abuses and hold all those responsible to account.
Mali-Russia Security Context
Mali has been fighting a civil war since 2012, and the military-led government is battling armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL. Residents told HRW that al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has controlled Bombori since 2017, but JNIM fighters were not in the village on the day of the killings. Bamako's relations with Western countries, particularly former coloniser France, deteriorated after two military coups within nine months, with the current government seizing power in May 2021. Russia, through Africa Corps and previously the Wagner Group, is now Mali's main military partner and receives cash payments and access to mineral wealth, particularly gold, in return.
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Human Rights Watch reports Africa Corps killed nine civilians, including four children, in Mali
