Success of the Malian army or unprecedented massacre of civilians? Two diametrically opposed versions clash on the events that took place between Sunday March 27 and Thursday March 31 in Moura, in central Mali. It is either one of the most resounding victories of the army, which claimed the elimination of 203 jihadists by contenting itself with reporting deaths in its ranks without further details; or the “worst episode of atrocities” committed against civilians in ten years, in the words of the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW), which reports in a report on the summary execution of 300 civilians by Malian soldiers associated with foreign fighters, presumed Russians.
Why Mura?
“For several weeks, the Malian armed forces, supported by Russian elements, have been trying to increase their power in central Mali”, in order to “put pressure on the jihadists of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (Jnim)”, recalls the journalist from France 24 Wassim Nasr, specialist in jihadist movements. According to his information, the locality of Moura was targeted because the Malians had indications “which reported the presence in the area of number 2 of Jnim”.
What does the Malian army say?
The army carried out a “large-scale” operation in this locality of several thousand inhabitants from March 23 to 31, the general staff said in a statement released on April 1 as the Moura lifts began to proliferate. . The center is one of the main centers of violence in the Sahel and a privileged terrain for groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
Apart from 203 “terrorists” killed, 51 others were captured, he said. The Malian forces carried out “systematic cleaning of the entire area”. After taking control of Moura, they carried out a “sorting” and identified “terrorists” hidden in the population, he said Tuesday evening in a new press release.
What do the testimonials say?
Liberation, France 24 and RFI were able to collect testimonies from locals. All report a five-day blockade during which a campaign of terror reigned. According to these testimonies, the operation began on Sunday March 27, in the middle of the morning, while a cattle market was taking place. “Two helicopters landed in the field and the courtyard of my house outside the village,” a resident of Moura told Liberation. White people came out, took their places on my roof and opened fire on men who were running. “Soldiers arrived as reinforcements, “there were clashes in the streets of the village, the locals returned to their homes and the Malian armed forces went to look for them at home for several days”, summarizes Wassim Nasr, on France 24.
A direct witness told AFP that he saw four helicopters appear with “more than a hundred black and white soldiers”. “There were executions quickly,” he said. A white fighter was reviewing arrested men and ringing a device in front of some: “As soon as the device beeps in front of someone, they are killed. I have never seen so many dead. There were more than 350,” he said.
After the initial clashes on March 27, soldiers captured hundreds of men, and in the following days they reportedly executed dozens of captives by shooting and small groups, perhaps based on their dress or because they wore beards according to rules laid down by the jihadists, or because of their ethnicity, reports HRW. “The vast majority” of the men killed were Fulani, a group from which the jihadists have largely recruited. Civilians were forced to dig mass graves before being executed, according to the NGO, which specifies that the remains were burned to the point of being unrecognizable.
Two natives of Moura told Liberation that several young women were taken in the evening to the soldiers’ camp where they were allegedly raped. Human Rights Watch is still waiting to have sufficiently reliable information to comment on the subject. At Franceinfo, Ousmane Diallo, of Amnesty International, indicates that “several secondary sources” spoke of “cases of rape in Moura”, “but we need to do some corroborating work” on this subject, he notes.
Civilians or jihadists?
Moura is described as a past locality, like many others in Mali, under the control of groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and, according to statements by two inhabitants of the village to Liberation, the jihadist presence was greater than in accustomed this March 27. But, according to these witnesses, it represented “about sixty” individuals “at most”, far from the more than 200 “terrorists” killed according to the Malian army. “How can they say that no civilians were killed when in front of my door seven were executed, including three of my cousins who are herders! ” was annoyed with Liberation a resident of Moura.
Who is investigating these events?
Pressed from many parts to open an independent investigation, the Malian military justice announced Wednesday evening the opening of investigations into the events of Moura. The United Nations has also opened an investigation and the mission of UN peacekeepers, Minusma, was still seeking access to the area on Thursday. “Authorization to deploy an integrated mission has so far not been authorized despite significant engagement with national authorities,” said UN envoy for Mali El-Ghassim Wane. , this Thursday, demanding from the Malian government “imperative” access to Moura.
What do we know about the involvement of Russian mercenaries?
HRW talks about Malian soldiers associated with foreigners, presumed to be Russian because they did not speak French and there has been much talk of the arrival of Russian soldiers in recent months to help fight the jihadists. A witness speaking to AFP accused the Malian soldiers and members of the Russian private security group Wagner, of the decried actions, including recently in Ukraine. On France 24, Wassim Nasr evokes the presence of the Malian armed forces as well as “100 Russian elements”.
“These are the only foreign soldiers who work today in the center with our armed forces,” said a member of a youth association in Moura to Liberation. “I have already met them in the region and three friends who studied in Russia work with them as interpreters. »
France and the United States have also expressed concern over reports of abuses by Malian soldiers and members of Wagner. For its part, the Malian general staff does not mention any presence of foreign soldiers. But he says the operation engaged five transport and combat helicopters of Soviet and Russian design and manufacture, without specifying who was flying them. Moreover, the authorities have always denied the use of Wagner and highlight the old partnership with the Russian army.