Call for war crimes probe over killing of soldiers

Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into what it described as the summary execution of at least 19 Malian soldiers who had surrendered after an ambush in central Mali this month, saying the killings may amount to war crimes under international humanitarian law. The rights group’s findings are based on an analysis of 12 videos shared on social media that captured events following the 18 July attack on a military convoy near the village of Tabrichat in the Gao region, reports The Eastleigh Voice. According to Amnesty, the footage shows a group of captured soldiers walking through the desert with their hands behind their heads before they were beaten. Subsequent videos allegedly show armed men opening fire on the prisoners, while another close-up clip shows the bodies of the same soldiers filmed surrendering moments earlier. The videos, the rights group says, indicate the soldiers had laid down their arms and were no longer taking part in the fighting, making them protected under the laws of war. The alleged executions occurred after a military convoy travelling from Anéfis to Bourem was ambushed near Tabrichat by the Azawad Liberation Front and the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims. Both groups claimed responsibility for the attack. However, neither group publicly acknowledged carrying out the alleged executions. Amnesty has since urged Malian authorities to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the alleged executions and prosecute those responsible in accordance with international fair trial standards. The International Criminal Court has been investigating alleged crimes committed in the country since 2013 and will retain jurisdiction over crimes committed before Mali's withdrawal from the Rome Statute takes effect on 23 June 2027.