Rights Group Says Eight Civilians Were Killed in Mali Attack Linked to Russia's Africa Corps

The reported attack occurred on 15 June in Kyrnia, a village in the Mopti region. Human Rights Watch said strikes hit the village chief's home and a livestock market, killing residents rather than the militants whom the Russian-linked force said it had targeted.

Africa Corps published aerial footage of the operation and said it had attacked a gathering of fighters. Human Rights Watch said it geolocated the footage and interviewed witnesses who reported that no armed militants were present at the places that were struck.

The allegation has not been independently adjudicated, and the Malian and Russian governments had not announced a transparent investigation at the time of reporting. The competing accounts must therefore remain clearly attributed.

Russia's Africa Corps replaced the Wagner Group as Moscow's principal security presence in parts of Africa. In Mali, it supports the military-led government in its campaign against armed groups connected to al-Qaeda and Islamic State.

The Malian authorities turned increasingly towards Russia after relations with former colonial power France deteriorated and French troops were withdrawn. Mali has since faced persistent allegations that government forces and their foreign partners have committed abuses during counterterrorism operations.

Armed Islamist organisations have also carried out serious attacks against civilians, soldiers and communities accused of cooperating with the government. The expanding conflict has left residents vulnerable to violence from several sides and has made independent investigations difficult.

Human Rights Watch called for a credible investigation, accountability for those responsible and measures to protect civilians during future military operations. Under international humanitarian law, combatants must distinguish between military targets and civilians and avoid attacks expected to cause disproportionate civilian harm.