Amnesty International Probes Killing of Malian Soldiers

Amnesty International has called for an independent war crimes investigation into the reported execution of at least 19 Malian soldiers following an ambush in northern Mali earlier this month.

The rights organisation said the soldiers were captured after an attack on July 18 along the road between Anefis and Gao. The ambush was claimed by the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the Al Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), two armed groups that have stepped up operations in northern Mali.

Amnesty International said it analysed 12 videos circulated on social media and on a Telegram channel linked to the Russian paramilitary Wagner group. According to the organisation, the footage indicates the soldiers were hors de combat, meaning they were no longer taking part in hostilities, before they were allegedly subjected to ill-treatment and executed.

Amnesty’s Senior Sahel Researcher, Ousmane Diallo, said the reported killings could amount to a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The United Nations human rights office has also called for an independent investigation, stating that the incident could constitute a war crime.

Mali’s armed forces said images shared online sought to portray the ambush as a major victory for armed groups. The military added that the execution of captured or incapacitated combatants would represent a grave breach of international humanitarian law and could be classified as a war crime.

The July 18 ambush is one of several coordinated attacks carried out by the FLA and JNIM in recent months. Despite the renewed offensive, the Malian military said it continues to maintain control of the strategic town of Anefis. No independent investigation has yet been announced by Malian authorities.

SOURCE: Reuters