94 civilians killed in Mali drone strikes by army, Russian forces: Report

Mali’s armed forces and their Russian allies have intensified drone strikes against insurgents, resulting in civilian deaths.

Mali’s armed forces and their Russian allies have carried out what human rights watch (HRW) described as “apparent indiscriminate” drone strikes, along with other abuses, during an intensified offensive against insurgents in recent months. The operations have killed dozens of civilians, the rights group said in a report released on Monday.According to the report, drone strikes and the resulting civilian deaths more than doubled between April and August compared with the same period last year, citing data from the armed conflict location and event data project (ACLED). The escalation came in response to nationwide attacks by the regional al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Tuareg-led separatists.The insurgent offensive, launched on April 25, killed Mali’s defence minister and targeted several towns and cities, as well as the main airport in the capital, Bamako. The attacks highlighted the government’s continuing struggle to restore security in the landlocked west african nation, according to the Reuters.Military leaders, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021 have increasingly relied on Russia to support their campaign against insurgent groups. Following the April attacks, they also deployed the Russian paramilitary group Africa Corps as part of their response.Data from the US-based conflict monitor ACLED showed that Malian forces and africa Corps conducted 47 drone strikes that killed 94 civilians between April and August. During the corresponding period a year earlier, 22 strikes had resulted in 44 civilian deaths.

Strikes hit cattle market, health centre

Human Rights Watch documented several incidents it described as apparent indiscriminate drone strikes. These included an August 19 attack on a cattle market in the Bandiagara region of central Mali that killed six men.The report also cited a pre-dawn drone strike on July 29 targeting a health centre in the northern Kidal region, near the Algerian border.In addition to drone attacks, the rights group recorded other alleged abuses by Malian forces. In one incident on July 12 in the Segou region, soldiers allegedly shot and killed five young girls after mistaking them for attackers, according to the report.A spokesperson for the Malian army did not respond to a request for comment. Human rights watch said it had also received no response to a letter sent on August 5 to Mali’s new defence minister outlining its findings.Mali has previously denied killing civilians during counterinsurgency operations. The Russian embassy in Bamako did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Africa Corps’ involvement.

Insurgent groups also accused of abuses

The Human rights watch report also documented alleged abuses by JNIM and the Tuareg-led separatists, including the execution of 19 soldiers in the northern Gao region in July.JNIM’s sharia committee acknowledged to the rights group that the killings had taken place but denied ordering them. It also said such acts were not part of its policy.The Tuareg-led azawad liberation front denied executing the soldiers.