2023-05-12 22:22:00
In a report, the United Nations accused the Malian army and “foreign” fighters of having executed, in March 2022, at least 500 people.
By VD with AFP
© SHEN HONG / MAXPPP / LANDOV/MAXPPP
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Lon Friday, the UN accused the Malian army and “foreign” fighters of having executed at least 500 people in March 2022, during an anti-jihadist operation in Moura, in a damning report by the High Commissioner for Human Rights . As documented in the report, the events in Moura (center), the subject of contradictory versions for a year, are the worst of their kind in a country that has been familiar with the atrocities of jihadists and other armed groups since 2012. The report constitutes the the most accusatory document produced against the Malian forces implicated on numerous occasions in the past.
The High Commissioner “has reasonable grounds to believe” that at least 500 people, including some 20 women and seven children, were “executed by the Malian Armed Forces and foreign military personnel” between March 27 and 31 2022 in this locality of a few thousand inhabitants, says the text. It is based on a survey by the Human Rights Division of the Blue Helmets mission deployed in Mali since 2013 (Minusma), 157 individual interviews and 11 group interviews.
58 women victims of rape
The High Commission also has “reasonable grounds to believe that 58 women and girls were victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence”. It reports acts of torture on arrested persons. These acts could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, said in a statement Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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The report does not identify “outsiders”. But he recalls the official Malian declarations on the assistance of Russian “instructors” in the fight against the jihadists and the remarks attributed to the head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov on the presence in Mali of the Russian private security company Wagner. UN cites testimonies describing these foreigners as white men in fatigues speaking an ‘unknown’ language who ‘supervised’ the operations
Wagner targeted
The United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, in a joint statement from their embassies, said they were “very concerned by the conclusions of the report which implicate elements of the Malian Armed Forces and the Wagner group, supported by Russia in these proven crimes. They urged the Malian government to quickly publish the results of its investigation and to hold “those responsible for these appalling acts of violence”.
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The report recounts five days of dread after the arrival on March 27 at the end of the morning of Malian soldiers and their allies equipped with five helicopters while a cattle fair had attracted thousands of civilians. Moura is reputed to be a stronghold of the Katiba Macina affiliated with the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM), itself affiliated with Al-Qaeda. About thirty members of the Katiba Macina would have mingled with the showmen and civilians.
Summary executions
A helicopter and men on the ground would have opened fire “indiscriminately” towards the market, jihadists would have responded. Thirty people, including a dozen jihadists, were killed. The Malian army reportedly took control of the scene and arrested around 3,000 people. She would have continued to comb the locality the following days. Malian soldiers and their allies “would have selected several hundred people who were summarily executed for at least four days”, mostly by shooting, the report said. The victims were reportedly buried in mass graves.
Since 2022, the events of Moura have given rise to opposing versions of human rights defenders and the junta in power since 2020: massive massacre according to NGOs, successful neutralization operation of 203 “terrorists” according to the military. Rights monitoring is part of Minusma’s mandate and its report contradicts the official narrative.
The new Russian ally
The High Commission points out that the junta has consistently denied Minusma access to Moura outside of an initial flight. The junta did not react publicly late Friday afternoon. Malian military justice announced in April 2022 an investigation. The junta rejects accusations of abuses against the armed forces and ensures that rights are respected. In 2022, it broke the military alliance with France and turned to Russia. She denies being linked to Wagner’s mercenaries whose actions have been decried in various countries.
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The report appears at a very delicate moment in the relationship – constantly deteriorating – between the junta and the Minusma. The renewal of the mandate of the Minusma which expires in June must be examined in the coming weeks. The mission is more than ever subject to questions about its ability to fulfill its mandate, in the face of the obstructions of the junta and the departure of several contributing countries.
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