Amnesty International has raised serious concerns over alleged war crimes committed by Malian armed forces and the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company. The organization condemned the actions, which include the murder and torture of civilians, urging the Malian authorities to ensure accountability through fair and transparent legal proceedings, without resorting to the death penalty. Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, emphasized the urgent need for justice for victims affected by the violence.
A detailed report from Amnesty outlines the killings of at least 34 civilians across seven locations in the regions of Mopti, Segou, and Timbuktu between June 2023 and December 2025. The document accuses the Forces Armées Maliennes (FAMa) and the Wagner Group of severe violations of international humanitarian law, including torture, enforced disappearances, and the pillaging and destruction of civilian property. Further information on these violations echoes widespread international concern.
These accusations occur within a broader context of instability and violence in Mali. UN experts called for independent investigations into potential war crimes and crimes against humanity earlier in January 2023. In March 2025, they criticized arbitrary executions in Mali, while the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries warned about the escalated violence linked to private military companies.
The actions of Mali’s armed forces and Russian mercenaries have also faced criticism from Human Rights Watch (HRW), which has labeled the summary executions of ethnic Fulani men as ethnic cleansing. Additionally, HRW condemned a Russia-linked airstrike in Kyrnia, highlighting its violation of human rights law. The organization’s concern underscores the critical need for effective international oversight in the region.
Amnesty International warned that Mali’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute could hinder survivors’ access to reparations, while FAMa continues to deny any wrongdoing, such as in the February 2025 attack in the Gao region. An analysis from the Robert Lansing Institute suggests that the Russian operational model in Mali relies heavily on asymmetric violence to assert control, as noted in reports by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), which indicate Wagner’s extensive involvement in various conflicts globally.
This troubling situation has prompted legal action. In April 2026, TRIAL International, the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) filed a case before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights against FAMa and the Wagner Group concerning the Moura and Hombori massacres.