Mali’s military government has launched an investigation into claims that its soldiers executed at least 24 civilians in the country’s north, an allegation made by the separatist Tuareg rebel alliance, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).
The FLA, which is engaged in an ongoing conflict with the Malian government, accused state forces and Russian Wagner mercenaries of intercepting two passenger vehicles traveling from the city of Gao to Algeria and killing all those on board, including women and children.
In response, Malian army chief Gen Oumar Diarra dismissed the claims, stating that they were spread by “terrorist networks, allies, and sponsors” as part of a pattern of “unfounded” accusations against government forces.
Mali has long struggled with a complex insurgency, facing both Tuareg separatists seeking an independent state in the north and jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. The military, which seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, enlisted Russian Wagner paramilitaries to bolster security efforts. However, both Malian forces and Wagner fighters have frequently been accused by human rights organizations of committing atrocities against civilians—allegations they have consistently denied.
The country’s leadership has also distanced itself from Western allies. In recent years, Mali’s ruling junta ended military cooperation with former colonial power France, leading to the withdrawal of French troops in 2022 after a decade-long counterterrorism mission. The following year, Mali expelled all 12,000 UN peacekeepers under the government’s directive.
Last month, Mali, along with fellow military-led nations Burkina Faso and Niger, withdrew from the West African regional bloc Ecowas, rejecting its demands to restore civilian governance. The departure of the three countries has significantly weakened the 50-year-old regional alliance, long seen as one of Africa’s most influential political and economic groups.
As Mali continues to grapple with insurgency, political instability, and allegations of human rights abuses, the latest claims threaten to further inflame tensions in the conflict-ridden nation.