A note from the United Nations Mission in Mali highlights an “exponential increase” in human rights violations and abuses in the country.
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The UN mission in Mali (Minusma) reports quarterly on the general situation on the ground. In its latest report, it highlights a deterioration in security and a marked increase in violence during the first quarter of 2022. In question, the militias and jihadist groups but also the Malian security forces.
The note of the Minusma underlines the continuation of the acts of violence carried out by the extremist groups against the local populations and the national security forces in the regions of the center and the north of the country, with “a worrying expansion” to certain localities in the south. It also reveals that the Malian forces, sometimes supported by “foreign military elements”, are also implicated in serious allegations of human rights violations including summary executions, rape, acts of torture and looting.
“Violations attributable to the Malian Security Forces have increased exponentially from 31 in the last quarter of 2021 to 320 between January and March 2022.”
Quarterly note of the Minusma on violations and abuses of human rights in Mali
With the junta coming to power in August 2020, the overall situation has not improved. It remains marked by differences between the stakeholders and new tensions have arisen with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the question of the transition. Relations have also deteriorated with France, which has been on the ground against the jihadists since 2013, which has begun a military withdrawal from the country. The junta turned to Russia and its paramilitary group Wagner to deal with the jihadists.
The UN report points the finger “exponential rise” violations attributed to the Malian forces and annoys the ruling junta to the highest degree. In a response memorandum consulted by AFP, Bamako castigates “allegations (…) very often biased” aiming to “discredit” Malian forces. The UN report, which speaks of 240 civilian victims in three months, does not include “the massacre” in Moura (in the center of the country) which left 300 civilian victims killed by Malian soldiers associated with foreign fighters , according to Human Rights Watch. Mali evokes an anti-terrorist operation, but the Minusma is still waiting for the green light to dispatch its experts on the spot to find out what really happened.