When Africa Corps officially began operations in Mali in June 2025, few people held out hope that it would help alleviate the suffering of civilians in Mali, caused on the one hand by armed groups in Azawad and members from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), but also by the army and its auxiliaries from the Russian private military company known as Wagner.
Troops from Africa Corps, under the direct control of the Kremlin, had already begun deploying in the country as early as January 2025 and were gradually taking over Wagner’s role in support of the army’s military operations. Joint patrols by the army and Wagner between 2023 and 2025 were marred by serious violations which we recently detailed again in a report, some of which we believe amount to war crimes.
In particular, we document seven incidents in which 34 people were deliberately killed during these patrols. The victims – all civilians, according to the testimonies collected – were shot, had their throats slit, and were burned; some were even mutilated after death. Many of them were shot in cold blood while they were herding their livestock or after being apprehended.
Accounts of widespread torture
Deadly drone attacks in Ejdeir (without warning and on a market day, 16 dead) and Tangata (at night on a house, the day after a wedding, seven dead), in March and November 2025, also caused deaths and destruction. Both strikes were carried out without any apparent evidence of the presence of armed combatants or military targets at either location. If this was the case, these acts would constitute direct attacks against civilians and private property and should be investigated as possible war crimes.
Torture and ill-treatment were also commonplace during these operations. The same was true in the military camps at Léré and Nampala, where detainees could be held for months without being able to notify their families or appear before a judge – or could simply disappear.
Survivors of this torture – which was carried out alongside interrogations about the activities of armed groups – whose bodies sometimes still bear the scars, spoke with Amnesty International. Suspension by the arms, simulated drowning, electric shocks, beatings with boots, rifle butts, and iron bars, and detention in degrading conditions with unsanitary restrooms: the range of practices is wide. Some had been subjected to sexual violence, forced to undress, and made to remain naked for several days while in custody.
These abuses were committed primarily by Wagner Group members, but with the full knowledge of the Malian armed forces. According to the testimonies collected, at least five people died as a result of this torture. Members of the Fulani, Tuareg, and Arab communities living along the border with Mauritania were the main victims of the war crimes documented in this report.
The protection of civilians in the context of the conflict must be a priority for the Malian authorities and all parties to the conflict
Ousmane Diallo, Sahel researcher at Amnesty International
Because they are “suspected” by the army and members of the Wagner Group of colluding with or sympathizing with GSIM. Because they live in rural areas, in a zone of conflict between the warring parties. One crime followed another. These often-deadly military operations are accompanied by looting (money, livestock, jewelry, blankets, etc.) and the destruction of property, clearly calling into question the Malian authorities’ claims that they are targeting only members of armed groups.
Although Africa Corps has replaced Wagner, nothing has been done to change the situation. Impunity persists. To our knowledge, no legal proceedings have been initiated regarding the abuses committed by government forces against civilians since 2023. Victims do not dare to file complaints for fear of reprisals. Those who dare to criticize the conduct of military operations are subjected to repression. The military authorities exercise total control over information.
Allegations of abuses have already been levelled against members of Africa Corps, according to Human Rights Watch. On July 10, 2026, in Bombori, the village’s Fulani neighbourhood was raided: 80 men were rounded up outside before being beaten and interrogated about the activities of armed groups. Six people who tried to flee were shot dead, while three others were executed.
One atrocity must not follow another. The protection of civilians in the context of the conflict must be a priority for the Malian authorities and all parties to the conflict, in accordance with international humanitarian law. Military operations and camps must be monitored, and the justice system must be able to conduct independent investigations into all alleged cases of abuses.
This article was originally published by Jeune Afrique.
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