The organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Russian government-controlled paramilitary forces of being involved in the deaths of eight civilians, including three children, during an airstrike in central Mali. In a report published on Friday, HRW stated that the attack was carried out by the ‘Africa Corps’ on June 15 in the village of Kirnia in the Mopti region.
“The junta must impartially investigate all possible war crimes committed on their territory, including the airstrikes in Kirnia, or they will be considered complicit in the abuses,” said HRW’s Sahel researcher Ilaria Allegrozzi. Mali, led by the military, is battling numerous armed groups linked to ‘Al-Qaeda’ and ISIL (ISIS), and has lost significant territory in recent years.
Russian paramilitary forces — initially from the Wagner mercenary group and later from the Kremlin-controlled ‘Africa Corps’ — have been fighting alongside Malian military forces since 2021. This alliance has increasingly been accompanied by reports of violence against the civilian population.
Details of the airstrike and victims
The HRW report states that an aircraft, identified by two Malian military sources as a Sukhoi Su-24, dropped at least two munitions on Kirnia during the June attack. According to HRW, one strike hit near the village chief’s residence, killing his wife, two children, and several other individuals. The second strike hit a small livestock market, killing four people and injuring two others.
HRW noted that at the time of the strike, there were at least 100 fighters from the ‘Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin’ (JNIM) group, affiliated with ‘Al-Qaeda,’ in the village. The report also indicates that JNIM has controlled Kirnia for six years. However, HRW stated that none of the JNIM positions were targeted.
The report also reveals that three of the village chief’s sons are JNIM fighters, and the chief himself conducts business with this armed group. HRW emphasized that targeting civilians or individuals who do business with JNIM is “unlawfully indiscriminate.”
Statements from the parties and investigation
In a post on the X platform on June 23, the ‘Africa Corps’ claimed it had “carried out an airstrike on a gathering place of terrorists” and that “several field commanders were eliminated.” An accompanying drone video appeared to show explosions in Kirnia while people were nearby. The HRW report also noted that the Russian Ministry of Defense had reported the use of Su-24 aircraft to strike militants.
HRW reported that as part of its investigation, it remotely interviewed 19 individuals, including witnesses, Malian military sources, and local journalists. The human rights organization also analyzed satellite images and geolocated the ‘Africa Corps’ video.
Violence by armed groups in Mali, as well as in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths over the past decade. According to the United Nations, at least 2,260 deaths were recorded from January to March of this year alone. These countries have ended military cooperation with France and turned to Russia for support.
Source: Al Jazeera
