The Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) have made considerable strides in the respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.
This is according to the latest quarterly report of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), covering the period from April 1 to August 30, 2022.
Human rights violations attributable to them fell by 62 percent, from 320 between January and March to 122 during the period under review.
The abuses involving the FAMA are related to “executions, acts of torture and other ill-treatment, as well as arbitrary arrests, some of them massive.”
On this subject, the UN Mission indicated that “during the period under review, 96 civilians were killed, seven disappeared and 19 injured during operations conducted by the Malian military.”
The UN mission cited the example of Hombori, in the Douentza region, where on 19 April a sweep by the Malian army, accompanied by “foreign military personnel,” left 50 civilians dead and led to the arrest of 500 others.
This operation followed the explosion of an improvised explosive device as their convoys passed through this locality in central Mali.
“On April 24, 2022, following simultaneous attacks by armed groups such as JNIM (the Arabic acronym for the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims) and other similar groups against the FAMA camps of Sévaré, Niono and Bapho, a Malian soldier allegedly summarily executed 20 of the 27 civilians who were being held at the Hombori camp,” the MINUSMA note said, adding that “among the 20 victims, 16 were killed while four succumbed to their wounds.”
On the discovery of a “mass grave” near the base of Gossi handed over on 19 April by the soldiers of the Barkhane operation to the Malian authorities, as part of their withdrawal from the country against the backdrop of diplomatic tension between Paris and Bamako, a MINUSMA investigation concluded that the remains buried there had been transported to the site on April 20, without specifying by whom.
Extremist groups were responsible for 64 percent of the 467 human rights violations during the period under review.
“Compared to the previous quarter, MINUSMA documented 297 human rights abuses by groups such as JNIM, EIGS and similar groups, which represents a 27 percent decrease (410 between January and March 2022),” the UN mission said.
With regard to community self-defence militias, MINUSMA blamed 34 acts of violence on them, an increase of 126 percent, while armed groups that are signatories to the Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali were guilty of 14 human rights violations, an increase of 16 percent compared to the previous quarter.
Between April 1 and April 30, 2022, MINUSMA, which mandate was renewed on 30 June, documented 682 security incidents in Mali.
The centre is the epicentre of the jihadist insurgency, with 320 security incidents recorded by the UN mission.
Since May 24, 2021, Mali has been governed by the military, which overthrew the regime of Ibrahim Boubacar Keita nine months earlier.
AC/te/lb/as/APA