HRW accuses Russia’s Africa Corps of killing 8 civilians in Mali
Human Rights Watch has accused Russia’s Africa Corps paramilitary group of killing eight civilians, including three children, during air strikes on a village in central Mali in June.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Russia’s Africa Corps paramilitary group of killing eight civilians, including three children, during air strikes on the village of Kyrnia in central Mali on June 15. According to an HRW investigation, a Sukhoi Su-24 aircraft dropped at least two bombs, one striking near the village chief’s home and another hitting a cattle market. The rights group said no fighters from the al Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), which controls the village, were believed to have been killed, raising concerns that the attack failed to target specific military objectives.
Africa Corps, which has replaced the Wagner Group in supporting Mali’s military, said it struck a terrorist gathering in the Mopti region. Reuters could not independently verify the incident. HRW has called for an independent investigation, urging Mali to hold those responsible accountable, while Russia and Mali had not commented on the allegation.
The Nigerian stake is clear. The Sahel is already destabilised by jihadist insurgencies, and the presence of Russian paramilitary groups adds a new dimension to the conflict. Nigeria’s northern border is vulnerable to spillover from the Sahel, and the killing of civilians in Mali could further destabilise the region.
From a Nigerian vantage point, the HRW report is a reminder that the Sahel crisis is a regional problem that requires a regional solution. Nigeria must continue to engage with its Sahelian neighbours and the international community to address the root causes of instability.
This echoes the 2022 report on Wagner Group abuses in Mali, which also raised concerns about civilian casualties. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a pattern of abuses by Russian paramilitary groups in the Sahel.
The winners: none. The losers: the families of the eight civilians killed; and the Sahel region, which faces continued instability and violence.
Bottom Line: HRW has accused Russia’s Africa Corps of killing civilians in Mali. The Sahel is burning. Nigeria is watching. The question is whether the international community will act or look away.