(Reuters)
DAKAR, Oct 19 – Mali’s armed forces and their Russian backers utilized some “apparent indiscriminate” drone strikes and other abuses as part of an ramped-up offensive against insurgents in recent months that has killed scores of civilians, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Monday.
The drone strikes and resulting civilian casualties more than doubled between April and August, compared to the same period a year ago, the report said citing ACLED data, in response to nationwide attacks by the regional al-Qaeda affiliate, known as JNIM, and by Tuareg-led separatists.
The insurgent attacks launched on April 25 killed Mali’s defence minister and hit multiple towns and cities as well as the main airport in Bamako, underscoring the government’s struggle to improve security in the landlocked West African country.
Mali’s military leaders, who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, have turned to Russia for support in their fight against insurgents, and they enlisted the Russian paramilitary group Africa Corps in their response to the April attacks.
The data from US-based conflict monitor ACLED showed Malian forces and Africa Corps carried out 47 drone strikes resulting in 94 civilian deaths from April-August, up from 22 strikes resulting in 44 civilian deaths a year earlier.
Leave a Reply