Mali’s armed forces and their Russian paramilitary partners have carried out a series of apparent indiscriminate drone strikes and other abuses during a ramped-up counterinsurgency offensive, killing scores of civilians in recent months, according to a report published on Monday by Human Rights Watch.
The findings indicate that drone strikes and the resulting civilian casualties more than doubled between April and August compared to the same period a year prior, according to data cited from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, known as ACLED. The intensified military campaign was launched in response to nationwide attacks carried out by the regional al-Qaeda affiliate, JNIM, and by Tuareg-led separatists.
Those insurgent attacks began on April 25, killing Mali’s defense minister, striking multiple towns and cities, and hitting the main airport in the capital of Bamako. The coordinated offensive highlighted the ongoing struggles of Mali’s military leadership, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, to secure the landlocked West African nation. Seeking external support, the military government enlisted the Russian paramilitary group Africa Corps to bolster its response following the April assaults.
Data compiled by the U.S.-based conflict monitor showed that Malian forces and the Africa Corps conducted 47 drone strikes resulting in 94 civilian deaths between April and August. That figure represents a significant increase from the 22 strikes and 44 civilian deaths recorded during the corresponding period a year earlier.
Among the incidents detailed in the report are several classified as apparent indiscriminate strikes. On August 19, a drone strike hit a cattle market in the Bandiagara region of central Mali, killing six men. In another instance on July 29, a pre-dawn strike targeted a health center in the northern region of Kidal, situated near the Algerian border.
The documented abuses extended beyond aerial operations. On July 12, in the Segou region, soldiers reportedly shot and killed five young girls after mistaking them for attackers.
Efforts by researchers to obtain comment from authorities were unsuccessful. A Malian army spokesperson did not respond to inquiries, and Human Rights Watch stated it received no response to a letter sent on August 5 to Mali’s new defense minister outlining the group’s findings. The Malian government has previously denied targeting civilians during its counterinsurgency operations. The Russian embassy in Bamako did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the involvement of the Africa Corps.
The report also examined abuses committed by insurgent groups, documenting the execution of 19 soldiers in the northern Gao region in July by JNIM and Tuareg-led separatists. Addressing the incident, JNIM’s Sharia Committee told researchers that the killings did occur, but denied issuing orders for them, stating that such actions are contrary to their policy. Meanwhile, the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front denied any involvement in the execution of the soldiers.
