Armed forces, Russian backers accused of abuses

Mali’s armed forces and their Russian backers used ‘apparent indiscriminate’ drone strikes and other abuses as part of a ramped-up offensive against insurgents in recent months that has killed scores of civilians, Human Rights Watch said in a report today (Monday), reports TimesLIVE. The drone strikes and resulting civilian casualties more than doubled between April and August, compared to the same period a year ago, the report said, citing Acled data, in response to nationwide attacks by the regional al-Qaeda affiliate, known as JNIM, and by Tuareg-led separatists. The insurgent attacks launched on 25 April killed Mali’s Defence Minister and hit towns, cities and the main airport in Bamako, underscoring the government’s struggle to improve security in the landlocked West African country. Mali’s military leaders, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, have turned to Russia for support in their fight against insurgents and have enlisted Russian paramilitary group Africa Corps in their response to the April attacks. The data from US-based conflict monitor Acled showed Malian forces and Africa Corps carried out 47 drone strikes, resulting in 94 civilian deaths from April to August, up from 22 strikes resulting in 44 civilian deaths a year earlier. The report also documented abuses that did not involve drones, including an incident on 123 July in the Segou region in which it said soldiers shot and killed five young girls they mistook for attackers. A Malian army spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Human Rights Watch said it received no response to a letter sent on 5 August to Mali’s new Defence Minister that detailed the group’s findings. The Russian embassy in Bamako did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the involvement of Africa Corps.