Rights group accuses Russia’s Africa Corps of unlawful strike that killed civilians in Mali

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Russia’s government-controlled Africa Corps of carrying out an apparently unlawful airstrike in central Mali that killed eight civilians, including three children, in June, saying the attack may have violated international humanitarian law.

In a report released on Friday, the rights organisation said that its findings were based on witness interviews, satellite imagery and analysis of video released by the Africa Corps on social media.

The investigation focused on a June 15 airstrike on Kyrnia village in Mali’s Mopti region after the Africa Corps publicly claimed responsibility for an operation targeting what it described as Islamist militants.

According to HRW, an aircraft dropped two munitions over the village. One struck the village chief’s compound, while another hit a nearby cattle market, killing eight civilians, including three children. Several people were also injured in the strike.

In a statement posted on its Facebook and X accounts on June 23, the Africa Corps said that the strike had targeted a gathering of “terrorist groups” in the Mopti region and killed several field commanders.

HRW has, however, disputed the account, saying witnesses reported that fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) were elsewhere in the village when the attack took place, but no Islamist fighters were reported to be among the casualties.

The rights group added that it found no evidence that the village chief’s home, one of the locations struck, was being used for military purposes at the time of the attack.

Based on the findings, HRW said the attack may have been an indiscriminate strike in violation of international humanitarian law, which requires parties to an armed conflict to distinguish between civilians and combatants and take all possible precautions to minimise civilian harm.

“Russian government-controlled Africa Corps aircraft have killed civilians in a Malian village in seeming disregard for the laws of war,” HRW’s Senior Sahel Researcher, Ilaria Allegrozzi, said.

Mali’s military authorities have strengthened security ties with Russia since ending cooperation with France and the United Nations (UN) following military coups in 2020 and 2021.

Russia’s Africa Corps, which succeeded the Wagner Group and operates under Moscow’s direct control, has since supported Malian military operations against armed groups.

According to HRW, the Malian government has a legal obligation to investigate the airstrike and hold those responsible for any violations of the laws of war to account, including members of the Africa Corps.

“The Malian government cannot hide behind laws-of-war violations committed by their Russian allies,” Allegrozzi said.

“The junta has to impartially investigate all possible war crimes committed on their territory, including the airstrikes in Kyrnia, or be held complicit in abuses.”