Attacks orchestrated by Islamist armed groups and ethnic militias in Mali violate international humanitarian law and appear to constitute war crimes, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published on May 8th, 2024. The publication pinpoints a January 2024 assault by an Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist armed group, resulting in the deaths of at least 32 civilians, including three children. The same attack established a blaze engulfing over 350 homes in central Mali, leading to the displacement of at least 2,000 villagers.
The comprehensive report also highlights another episode of violence in January 2024 in which an ethnic militia targeted 24 civilians, leading to 13 deaths, including those of two children. This attack additionally involved widespread theft and destruction of civilian property and livestock. These incidents occur amidst a pattern of retaliatory attacks and communal violence, argues HRW. The advocacy organization urges Mali’s transitional military authorities to promptly examine these attacks, hold the perpetrators accountable through fair trials, and enhance protective measures for civilians vulnerable to further violence.
The fighting in Mali falls under the classification of a non-international armed conflict, thus it is subject to international legal frameworks such as
Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and customary laws of war. These terms explicitly prohibit various actions, including attacks on civilians and their property. Given this, it is incumbent upon governments to conduct impartial investigations and to fairly prosecute individuals responsible for war crimes.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior Sahel researcher at HRW, underscored the crucial need for Mali’s transitional government to hold armed factions to account, stating “The Malian transitional government’s failure to hold Islamist armed groups and ethnic militias to account only emboldens abusive forces to commit further atrocities. The authorities should ramp-up efforts to appropriately investigate and prosecute all those responsible for grave abuses.”
The volatile political history of Mali, wracked with clashes between ethnic Tuareg tribes and the Malian government repsentative of a long struggle dating back to the nation’s independence from French rule in 1960, has shown little sign of resolution. The recent military coup and take-over by Colonel Assimi Goïta, combined with the prevalence of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS) affiliated groups, has intensified conflict in certain areas and resulted in increased international criticism.
In the face of these challenges, Mali, along with Niger and Burkina Faso, made the decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a decision that removed a significant venue for victims of abuse to seek compensation and justice. Concluding the report, HRW reiterated its call for all stakeholders to engage in coordinated efforts to protect civilians and to enforce justice for the victims of these ongoing violations of international humanitarian law.