Since the coordinated offensives on April 25 and 26 triggered widespread fighting across northern and central Mali, Human Rights Watch has recorded multiple incidents of civilian targeting by armed groups and security forces. The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), the Front de Libération de l’Azawad (FLA), Malian military units, and Russian-linked Africa Corps personnel are all implicated in what observers describe as a disturbing pattern of indiscriminate attacks.

The 29 June report details how each party has allegedly violated international humanitarian law through deliberate strikes on civilian populations, destruction of property, and extrajudicial killings. In Gao and Kidal alone, at least 13 civilians have died and 25 more suffered injuries during the recent wave of violence.

A 38-year-old resident of Kidal described his ordeal during the fighting: “I was struck by gunfire in my right shoulder and left thigh”. He recounted how bullets came from multiple directions, leaving him unable to identify the source of the attack.

Documented atrocities across conflict zones

Investigators found evidence that JNIM fighters torched over 40 civilian vehicles along routes leading to Bamako between May 6 and 21. In the town of Tonka, the group stands accused of publicly executing a local man. “We recovered his body… with a gunshot wound to the head”, stated a community member who spoke with monitors.

Malian security forces face equally serious allegations. Human Rights Watch reports that 38 civilians—including 23 children—were killed during operations targeting Fulani communities in central Mali. Two suspected drone strikes in Guimbé and Tené reportedly caused extensive damage and casualties.

A resident of Tené recalled the moment of impact: “I heard a noise from the sky followed by an explosion”. “The devastation was immense, with multiple fatalities and injuries”.

To compile these findings, researchers conducted 34 remote interviews, examined satellite imagery, and analyzed video and photographic evidence. Despite repeated attempts to solicit responses from Malian authorities, none were received at the time of publication. The JNIM issued a statement acknowledging that “no war can be waged without human cost”, while the FLA claimed to have “implemented measures to minimize civilian casualties”.