Malian troops, foreign military personnel killed over 500 people in Mali village: UN

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - The UN on Friday said that Malian troops and foreign military personnel were responsible for the death of over 500 people, mostly civilians during a military operation in the village of Moura in March 2022.

The damning report released by the UN Human Rights Office is based on extensive interviews with victims and witnesses, as well as forensic evidence and satellite imagery

The report highlights the grave human rights abuses committed during the five-day operation.

Releasing the report, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said: "These are extremely disturbing findings. Summary executions, rape, and torture during armed conflict amount to war crimes and could, depending on the circumstances, amount to crimes against humanity."

Despite requests, Malian authorities denied access to the village for the UN fact-finding team, further raising concerns about accountability and transparency.

Witnesses said military helicopters fired upon villagers, while troops corralled people into the village center and indiscriminately shot at those attempting to escape.

The presence of "armed white men" speaking an unknown language alongside the Malian forces suggests the involvement of foreign personnel in the atrocities, the UN said.

When reached for comment, local authorities had told the UN that the operation was “an anti-terrorist military operation against an al-Qaeda-affiliated group known as Katiba Macina – (it) began on 27 March 2022, a busy weekly market day in Moura,” the UN said.

At least 58 women and girls were raped or subjected to other forms of sexual violence.

Turk urged Malian authorities to ensure strict adherence to international humanitarian and human rights laws by all involved forces in military and law enforcement operations.

The report called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the heinous crimes.

The fact-finding team from the UN said it obtained extensive personal identification details, including the names of at least 238 of these victims.