Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported that Russian paramilitaries from the Africa Corps, supporting Mali in its fight against insurgents, killed nine civilians, including four children, in a July operation. Over 100 Russian fighters, accompanied by Malian soldiers, stormed a village in the central Mopti region at dawn on July 10, seeking jihadists. The village of Bombori, under the control of the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) since 2017, saw its residents rounded up and interrogated.
HRW detailed that the paramilitaries broke into homes in the ethnic Fulani neighborhood, dragging people out and rounding up at least 80 men and boys under a tree. The Fulani ethnic group is often accused of supporting jihadists across West Africa. The fighters reportedly beat the detainees, interrogated them about alleged links to Islamist armed groups, and threatened to kill them if they withheld information.
The situation escalated when six civilians attempting to flee were shot dead. Three others, including one who was beheaded, were detained and executed. After the fighters left, residents recovered nine bodies—five men and four children aged between six and 17. HRW based its report on remote interviews with 13 people, including four witnesses to the attack and nine civil society members and community leaders.
Mali has been grappling with a severe security crisis since 2012, fueled by violence from jihadists allied to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group, along with criminal gangs and armed separatists. The country's ruling junta, which came to power in two successive coups in 2020 and 2021, has distanced itself from former colonial power France and moved closer to Russia, both militarily and politically. This shift has seen an increase in Russian military presence and support in Mali.
The incident underscores the complex and volatile situation in Mali, where international military support is often entangled with local dynamics and human rights concerns. The involvement of foreign paramilitaries adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing conflict, raising questions about accountability and the protection of civilian lives.
