Mali Army, Russia’s Wagner Committed War Crimes Against Civilians, Amnesty Says

Malian forces and Russia’s Wagner mercenaries committed war crimes including killings and torture of civilians during joint operations, Amnesty International said in a new report. The rights group documented the deaths of at least 34 civilians across seven locations in the central Ségou and Mopti regions and northern Timbuktu region between June 2023 and December 2025.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. According to Amnesty, none of those killed was directly participating in hostilities at the time of their deaths. Some civilians were deliberately shot while trying to flee or after being detained. Others had their throats cut or were burned alive or after death, the report found. The findings add to years of reports documenting abuses by Mali’s armed forces and their Russian partners as Bamako has increasingly relied on Moscow for military support against jihadist groups operating across the Sahel. Mali’s military rulers, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, turned toward Russia and brought in Wagner personnel from late 2021. Around 1,000 Wagner fighters were deployed in Mali before the group was replaced in June 2025 by Africa Corps, which operates under Russia’s Defense Ministry, according to Amnesty. Civilians Killed During Joint Patrols Among the cases documented by Amnesty was a Feb. 12, 2025 operation in Tin Adanda, a small settlement in the Timbuktu region. Four people were killed during a joint Malian military-Wagner patrol, according to the report. Other Topics of Interest Putin Signs Decree Increasing Russian Army: Over 2.4 Million, Including 1.5 Million Active-Duty Personnel The move marks the fourth time Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed such a decree this year. One survivor interviewed by Amnesty described losing two sons and a cousin after they were detained and killed. The organization said the cases pointed to a broader pattern in which civilians were treated as suspected collaborators with armed groups despite no evidence they were participating in fighting. The vast majority of victims belonged to Fulani, Arab and Tuareg pastoral communities. Some were suspected of links to armed groups solely because of their ethnic background and because they lived in areas where insurgents were active, Amnesty found. Drone Strikes Kill at Least 23 The report also documented two Malian military drone strikes in the Timbuktu region that killed at least 23 people, including at least five children. One strike hit a market in Ejdeir in March 2025. Another struck a family home in Tangata in November. Amnesty said it found no evidence that members of armed groups or military objectives were present at either location. “If confirmed, these operations would constitute a direct attack against civilians and civilian objects and should be investigated as war crimes,” Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa, warned. Witnesses told Amnesty that 16 civilians were killed and seven injured in the Ejdeir market strike. The Malian military later announced it had attacked what it described as a gathering of “terrorists” at a transit camp northwest of Léré and killed 11 fighters. Amnesty’s analysis found that the location described by the military corresponded to the market that was hit. Torture at Military Bases Amnesty also gathered testimony from 15 men who described being tortured or otherwise mistreated during joint Malian-Wagner patrols or while held at the Léré and Nampala military bases. Witnesses corroborated torture involving at least 30 people, while five detainees were reported to have died at the bases from torture or poor detention conditions. Survivors described being suspended by their arms from metal bars, subjected to simulated drowning, beaten with iron rods and sticks, and shocked with electricity. Amnesty concluded that Wagner personnel carried out most of the torture described in the testimonies, often in the presence of Malian soldiers. In some cases, Malian troops allegedly acted as interpreters, stood by during the abuse or threatened detainees themselves. Those held at the bases were not brought before courts and had no access to lawyers or relatives during detention periods ranging from one day to four months, the report found. Amnesty Demands Accountability Amnesty called on Malian authorities to investigate the abuses and clarify the command structure governing foreign military personnel operating in the country. “Our findings show the harrowing reality facing civilians caught in the conflict, who are paying the highest price while impunity continues to prevail,” Sivieude warned. “The Malian authorities cannot ignore these grave allegations and fail to launch effective and impartial investigations into the alleged crimes.” The organization also urged Bamako to publish its agreement with Africa Corps and establish an independent accountability mechanism capable of monitoring abuses by Malian forces and their foreign partners. Amnesty said it submitted its findings to Malian authorities on Aug. 3 but had received no response by the time the report was published. Wagner Gone, Russian Presence Remains Although Wagner formally withdrew from Mali in June 2025, Russia’s military presence continued. Africa Corps replaced the group and remains active under Russian Defense Ministry control, according to Amnesty. Reports of abuses have continued under the new structure. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.