The Malian army on Saturday 2 April described some of the 203 people it neutralized in the center of the country as part of a terrorist network, while some international organizations and media have been claiming that victims of the state security operations were civilians.
More than 200 jihadists have been killed and about 50 arrested.
The official figure from the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) about the operation, which took place from March 23 to 31 in the village of Moura (center), reinforce the discourse on the rise of the jihadist threat.
However, this counterterrorism action is also the subject of numerous allegations of violence committed by Malian soldiers against civilians.
Last week, images of corpses bathed in blood surfaced on social media.
Others showed men with guns burying their loved ones.
But it is difficult to say that these deaths are from Moura, even though it is a town that has been under the yoke of the jihadists of the Macina katiba, allies of the Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) for several years.
According to sources, they regularly appear in the area to preach and refuel.
However, RFI said that at this stage, “there is no longer any talk of exactions, it is a massacre” that has been carried out by the FAMa in this village.
The French media outlet quoted a source who considers the Malian military operation disproportionate and indiscriminate.
Human Rights Watch denounced “the massacre of more than 300 people in Moura,” based on several testimonies.
“They were killed because they wore beards and short pants,” a survivor told the human rights organization, adding that the inhabitants were forced to do so.
Mariko, MINUSMA, investigation…
In Bamako, the opposition leader Oumar Mariko has been in the crosshairs of justice since last weekend after accusing the army of “murdering people” in Moura.
After his highly critical remarks, his house was surrounded by armed men when he was not there.
However, the army said it carried out this “large-scale airborne operation” in Moura “following specific intelligence” about “a meeting between different katibas.”
It then proceeded to “systematically clear the area.”
However, the Malian army recalled in its communiqué that respect for human rights and international humanitarian law remained a priority in the conduct of its anti-jihadist operations.
“This is explained by enormous efforts to raise awareness and provide training on the various modules, as well as the opening of investigations each time allegations are made against the FAMAs,” it said.
But in order to clarify the allegations of abuses against civilians, the United Nations Mission in Mali wants to conduct an investigation.
“Everything is planned, we are only waiting for the authorities’ agreement,” according to the UN Mission in Mali, which wants to establish the facts and answer all these questions.
ODL/te/lb/as/APA