Human Rights Watch on Monday accused Malian armed forces and foreign fighters resembling Russian paramilitaries from the Wagner group of carrying out the execution of dozens of civilians in central Mali since December 2022, during anti-jihadist operations.
The NGO has also condemned instances of torture of detainees and the destruction and looting of civilian property.
With the UN Mission set to leave the country by the end of 2023, the NGO is urging the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States to apply pressure to put an end to these abuses and hold the Malian authorities accountable.
According to Human Rights Watch reports based on interviews with 40 individuals, they described the involvement of armed foreign men who did not speak French.
It was reported that eight lifeless bodies were discovered following an assault on the village of Séguéla in February by white foreign fighters wearing uniforms. This attack resulted in beatings, looting, and the arrest of 17 men.
The junta in power since 2020 has sidelined France and has turned politically and militarily to Russia. It denies any presence of Wagner and instead refers to Russian army instructors deployed in the name of state-to-state cooperation.