A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), released on October 19, says the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group, confirmed summary executions of surrendered Malian soldiers after a July attack in the Gao region. The report also accuses Malian government forces and their Russian Africa Corps partners of killing and injuring dozens of civilians in recent operations.
The incident at the center of the report occurred on July 18, when JNIM fighters, alongside separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), attacked a Malian military convoy traveling from Anefis to Gao. According to HRW, around fifty soldiers were killed in Tabrichat, and at least nineteen were tortured and executed after surrendering. While the FLA denied involvement in prisoner executions, sources cited by RFI pointed to JNIM responsibility, including the alleged direct involvement of the son of JNIM leader Iyad Ag Ghaly.
In a rare admission, JNIM’s internal religious committee confirmed to HRW that the executions did take place and were carried out by its fighters. However, the committee claimed that the killings were not ordered by leadership and did not reflect group policy, adding that no disciplinary action was taken against those responsible.
HRW’s report also accuses Malian government forces and their Russian Africa Corps partners of killing and injuring dozens of civilians in recent operations. It cites, among other cases, a drone strike on August 19 at a livestock market in Tombonkoré, Bandiagara region, which it says killed six civilians and wounded about twenty, and a ground operation near Niono, Ségou region, on July 12, in which five girls aged 10 to 13 were shot while harvesting rice in a field. HRW describes these incidents as grave violations of the laws of war.
The report’s findings are based on interviews with relatives of executed soldiers, relatives of victims, and direct witnesses to the attacks. HRW notes that, as of mid-September, Malian authorities had not contacted the families of soldiers killed or missing at Tabrichat to provide information or support, raising concerns about the state’s response to the tragedy.
In response to these documented abuses, Human Rights Watch has called on the African Union to actively monitor all parties to the conflict. The group urges the convening of a special session focused on civilian protection and accountability, criticizing what it describes as a largely passive stance from international actors in the face of ongoing violations.