The Human Rights Division of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has released its report on the Malian army’s operations in Moura in March 2022.
Issued under the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote and protect human rights, the report concerns events in the village of Moura (Touge-Mourari town, Djenne district, Mopti region) in central Mali from March 27 to 31, 2022.
Composed of 12 human rights officers and four experts from the United Nations Police (UNPOL), the special fact-finding mission conducted its work, in accordance with the methodology of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, over a period of seven months, from April 1 to October 30, 2022, in Bamako, Douentza, Mopti, Segou and Sikasso.
In all, 157 individual interviews with a variety of sources, including victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence, members of the Fulani, Rimaibe, and Bozo communities from 18 areas, were conducted by the fact-finding mission. In addition, the mission conducted eleven group interviews, including with individuals with direct knowledge of the incident.
Hence, at the end of its work, the fact-finding mission concluded that the airborne and ground military operation conducted by the Malian Armed Forces and foreign military personnel in Moura, on the day of the weekly fair, was conducted in violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, in particular those relating to the
conduct of hostilities and the treatment of persons captured and/or put out of action, as well as norms and standards of international human rights law.
The mission reported that several hundred people were killed between March 27 and 31 during the military operation in Moura. Among those killed were some 30 members of the Macina Katiba who were neutralized
during the same operation. Based on the information collected, verified and corroborated by the fact-finding mission, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has reasonable grounds to believe that at least 500 people were killed in violation of the norms, standards, rules and/or principles of international human rights law and international humanitarian law between March 27 and 31 during the military operation in Moura.
The fact-finding mission says it has the names of at least 238 of those executed. According to several corroborating accounts, the victims were buried in four mass graves dug by villagers, including near the village cemetery, southwest of the village on the road to Gossiri, and northeast of the village on the road to Diabi (locations provided in the appendix to the report). At least fifty-eight (58) people were arrested, some of whom were subjected to torture and ill-treatment.
In addition, the UN mission reported that at least 58 women and girls were victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated by elements of the Malian Armed Forces. For the UN, the events in Moura between March 27 and 31 could constitute war crimes, and if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population, could constitute crimes against humanity.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recommends that the Malian authorities ensure that the announced investigations into possible violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Moura are conducted in an independent, impartial, effective, thorough, and transparent manner and that the findings of these investigations are made public. Recommendations were also made to combat impunity by prosecuting the perpetrators of these crimes.
In a communiqué issued following this operation, the army reported that more than 200 terrorists had been killed in Moura.
The U.N. investigation took more than a year to complete thanks to restrictions imposed by the Malian authorities.
MD/ac/fss/as/APA