Mali’s military government has announced an investigation into claims that its soldiers executed at least 24 civilians in the northern part of the country. The accusations were made by the separatist Tuareg rebel group, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), which is engaged in conflict with the Malian government in the region.
The FLA alleges that Malian forces, along with Wagner mercenaries, intercepted two passenger vehicles traveling from Gao to Algeria, executing the civilians on board, including women and children.
In response, General Oumar Diarra, Mali’s army chief, dismissed the claims as “unfounded” and suggested that they were propagated by “terrorist networks, allies, and sponsors.” The Malian government has long faced challenges from Tuareg rebels seeking independence and jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS in the north.
The military government, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, has employed Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group to bolster security. Both Malian forces and Wagner have been accused of committing human rights violations, but they deny these allegations.
In a broader context, Mali recently withdrew from the West African regional group Ecowas, alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, in a move that weakened the organization. Additionally, Mali severed ties with France in 2022, when French troops, who had been fighting insurgents in Mali for over a decade, were expelled. Subsequently, all 12,000 UN peacekeepers also left under the junta’s orders.