Human rights watch details grave abuses by Mali army, Russia’s africa corps alongside jihadists

A new investigation exposes a devastating pattern of violence in Mali, where the regular army, its Russian allies from Africa Corps, and Islamist insurgents have escalated attacks against civilians. Beyond the death toll, the report highlights a calculated strategy of economic strangulation that plunges communities into extreme hardship.

Violence spiral after the fall of Kidal

The spring of 2026 marked a critical turning point in Mali’s crisis. On 25 April, a combined operation by jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jnim) and separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) resulted in the capture of Kidal and the killing of Defence Minister Sadio Camara.

This defeat triggered a massive response from the central authorities. The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), backed by Russian instructors from Africa Corps, launched a high-intensity counteroffensive. While officials keep the human cost secret, field data shows at least 13 civilians killed and 25 wounded during the initial clashes in Gao and Kidal.

The fuel war: Economy as a target

On the ground, Jnim’s strategy shifted toward economic terrorism. To pressure Bamako, Al-Qaeda-linked networks aim to cut the country’s logistical lifelines by enforcing strict road blockades.

Commercial transport bears the brunt of this attrition war. Between 6 and 21 May, more than 40 civilian transport vehicles heading to the capital were intercepted and torched. More structurally damaging is the systematic targeting of fuel tankers—a campaign that since September 2025 has cost drivers their lives and paralysed distribution networks.

This logistical strangulation deprives entire regions of electricity and fuel, forcing school closures and halting market activity. The insurgents also carry out targeted terror, such as the public execution of a resident in Tonka, near Timbuktu, to discourage any resistance.

The humanitarian crisis unfolds through two parallel mechanisms:

• Jnim’s tactic: Road blockades leading to energy shortages and inflation
• FAMa/Russia response: Indiscriminate drone raids causing displacement and civilian casualties

Civilians caught in Bamako-Moscow alliance crossfire

Meanwhile, the FAMa and Africa Corps’ response causes heavy civilian losses. The report denounces systematic abuses during security operations in central Mali, where Peul communities are often wrongly associated with insurgent movements.

Between 14 and 17 May alone, documentation identified 38 civilians killed during ground incursions, including 23 minors. Additionally, new-generation drone strikes have exacted a tragic toll:

• Guimbé (25 April): An aerial bombardment killed 12 children and teenagers.
• Téné (17 May): A strike hit a wedding ceremony, leaving 10 civilians dead.

Justifications and lack of dialogue

When questioned about the legitimacy of targets and the economic strangulation, Jnim’s leadership responded to investigators by claiming that the targeted civilians refused to submit to the group’s decrees and regulations in areas under its control.

On the Malian state side, the Ministry of Justice remained silent, leaving unanswered the requests for clarification and right-of-reply protocols sent by the human rights organisation.

Call for international investigation

These flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits indiscriminate attacks on non-combatants, face an obstacle to peace: impunity. Ilaria Allegrozzi, a Sahel specialist at Human Rights Watch, warns that the lack of historical accountability fuels Mali’s tragedy. Without the oversight mechanisms of the former UN mission, the country sinks into arbitrariness. The organisation urges the African Union and United Nations to urgently sponsor a fact-finding mission to collect the material evidence needed for future criminal proceedings.