Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Mali’s army and allied militia forces killed at least 31 civilians in two separate attacks on villages in the central Segou region, an area heavily targeted by insurgents linked to al-Qaeda. The findings, published Tuesday, add new pressure on Mali’s military government as violence against civilians continues to rise.
According to HRW, the first incident occurred on 2 October in Kamona, where soldiers and pro-government fighters allegedly executed at least 21 men and burned several homes. Witnesses said security forces accused residents of aiding Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the al-Qaeda-affiliated group that has expanded its influence across southern Mali.
The second attack took place in Balle, around 55 km away, where 10 people, including one woman, were reportedly killed. HRW’s account includes testimony from a herder who survived by hiding in an abandoned house with his nine-year-old daughter. When he emerged, he says he found 17 bodies riddled with bullets.
Mali’s army and the African Union have not yet commented on the allegations.
HRW has urged Malian authorities to open a full investigation and called on the African Union to take stronger action to halt abuses committed by all parties in the conflict.
The West African nation continues to face intense pressure from jihadist groups, who have targeted security forces, attacked supply routes, and recently enforced a fuel blockade that caused nationwide shortages. Despite growing insecurity, Mali’s foreign minister this week dismissed speculation that jihadists are close to threatening the capital, Bamako.
