Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned fresh abuses against civilians in central Mali, accusing the country’s armed forces and Russia-controlled Africa Corps of killing people in an apparent military drone strike and torturing detainees at an army base.
In a report, HRW disclosed that an apparent military drone strike hit civilians in Guélédié village in the Mopti region, killing eight men and injuring at least six others.
It also documented allegations that Malian soldiers and Africa Corps personnel tortured detainees, denied them adequate food and medical care, and held them in inhumane conditions at a military base in Sévaré between May and August.
According to Ilaria Allegrozzi, Senior Sahel Researcher at Human Rights Watch, “civilians are bearing the brunt of the Mali junta’s failure to rein in its abusive forces and allies.”
“Recent atrocities implicate the Malian army as well as Russia-controlled Africa Corps, for which Russian officials should also be held accountable.”
Ilaria Allegrozzi
Former Detainees Describe Torture at Sévaré Military Base
Alongside the reported civilian killings, HRW documented allegations of torture and inhumane detention at the Hamadoun Bocary Barry army base in Sévaré, where Malian soldiers and Africa Corps personnel allegedly held numerous civilians in a metal shipping container between May and August 2026.
Four former detainees stressed that they were held incommunicado in a container approximately 20 metres long, without windows, toilets or washing facilities. The space reportedly became overcrowded, poorly ventilated and unbearably hot, with dozens of detainees forced to share inadequate food and water.
The detainees also reported being denied necessary medical attention and subjected to verbal abuse. They identified their alleged captors as Malian soldiers and Africa Corps fighters based on their uniforms, languages and appearance.
Three of the former detainees stated they were repeatedly tortured in a room near the entrance to the military base, close to a main road in Sévaré. The room reportedly contained a metal bed, a barrel filled with water, a table and electric wires.
According to their accounts, interrogators used beatings, electric shocks, waterboarding and burning to force them to confess to alleged links with JNIM or provide information about the armed group.
Another former detainee disclosed that a Malian soldier tied him to a bed and threatened to kill him unless he disclosed information about the armed group.
The former detainees also reported that several prisoners died in the container during their detention. One man alleged that eight people died while he was held there, adding that guards showed little concern when detainees attempted to alert them to prisoners in distress.
HRW indicated that the allegations formed part of wider concerns over the treatment of civilians detained during counterinsurgency operations. The organisation noted that human rights groups and media outlets had previously documented alleged torture at several military bases across Mali.
HRW Calls for Investigations and Accountability
According to Human Rights Watch, the reported incidents raised serious concerns about compliance with international humanitarian law, which requires parties to armed conflicts to protect civilians and treat people deprived of their liberty humanely.
Under Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and Protocol II, as well as customary international humanitarian law, parties to a conflict must protect detainees against murder, torture and cruel, humiliating or degrading treatment.
The organisation stated that military forces must take all feasible precautions before launching attacks, including verifying that their targets are military objectives. Attacks that lack a military objective or fail to distinguish between civilians and combatants are unlawfully indiscriminate.
HRW added that denying medical care to wounded people or detainees can constitute a war crime. In contrast, individuals responsible for serious violations of the laws of war may face prosecution where the necessary legal requirements are met, including in cases involving criminal intent or command responsibility.
The organisation urged concerned governments and international institutions to press Mali’s authorities to conduct credible investigations into the alleged abuses and bring those responsible to justice.
It also called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to increase its scrutiny of the country’s human rights situation and take steps to prevent further violations, adding that “these recent abuses should serve as a stark reminder that concerned governments and international institutions should press the Malian authorities to conduct credible investigations into military abuses and bring those responsible to justice.”
READ ALSO: Como Compound Manchester United Woes With Heavy Win
