Human Rights Watch has accused Russia’s government-controlled paramilitaries of killing eight civilians, including three children, in an air strike in central Mali.
In a report published on Friday, the rights watchdog alleged that the attacks by Africa Corps took place on June 15 in the village of Kyrnia, in Mali’s Mopti region.
“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,” HRW Sahel researcher Ilaria Allegrozzi said.
Military-led Mali is battling multiple armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS), and has lost large swaths of territory in recent years.
Russian paramilitaries – first from the mercenary Wagner group, and later the Kremlin-run Africa Corps – have fought alongside Malian soldiers since 2021. Their alliance, however, faces mounting reports of violence against civilians.
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