Human Rights Watch has accused Russia’s government-controlled paramilitaries of killing eight civilians, including three children, in an air strike in central Mali. The allegation that Africa Corps killed Mali civilians centres on an attack the rights watchdog says took place on June 15 in the village of Kyrnia, in Mali’s Mopti region.
“The junta has to impartially investigate all possible war crimes committed on their territory, including the airstrikes in Kyrnia, or be held complicit in abuses,” said HRW Sahel researcher Ilaria Allegrozzi.
Russian Paramilitaries’ Role in Mali
Military-led Mali is battling multiple armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL, and has lost large swaths of territory in recent years. Russian paramilitaries, first from the mercenary Wagner group and later the Kremlin-run Africa Corps, have fought alongside Malian soldiers since 2021. Their alliance, however, faces mounting reports of violence against civilians.
What HRW’s Investigation Found
According to HRW’s report, an aircraft identified by two Malian military sources as a Sukhoi Su-24 dropped at least two munitions on Kyrnia during the June attack. One strike hit outside the village chief’s residence, killing his wife, two children and several others. A second strike hit a small cattle market, resulting in four deaths and wounding two people, the report said.
At least 100 fighters from the al-Qaeda backed Jamaat Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) were in the village at the time of the strike, the report noted, adding that JNIM has controlled Kyrnia for six years. However, HRW said no JNIM locations were hit.
The report noted that three of the village chief’s sons are JNIM fighters, and that the chief conducts business with the armed group. Even so, HRW said targeting civilians and those doing business with JNIM amounts to unlawfully indiscriminate attacks.
Africa Corps’ Own Account of the Strike
In a post on X on June 23, Africa Corps said it conducted an airstrike against a gathering place of terrorists and that several field commanders were eliminated. An accompanying drone video appeared to show the moment explosions went off in Kyrnia as people moved around. HRW’s report also noted that Russia’s Ministry of Defence has said its forces use Su-24 aircraft to strike fighters.
HRW said it remotely interviewed 19 people, including witnesses, Malian military sources and local journalists, as part of its investigation, and also analysed satellite imagery and geolocated Africa Corps’ videos.
A Wider Pattern of Civilian Deaths in the Sahel
Armed-group violence across Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths over the past decade, with at least 2,260 deaths recorded between January and March of this year alone, according to the United Nations. All three countries expelled France, which had initially supported them, and have since turned to Russia for security assistance.
