The report states, based on an investigation conducted by the Human Rights Department of the United Nations Mission in Mali since 2013, that the High Commissioner has “reasonable grounds to believe” that at least 500 people, including 20 women and 7 children, were “executed by the Malian armed and military forces.” Foreigners (…) after taking full control of the Mora region between March 27 and 31, 2022.
The report adds that the Commission also has “reasonable grounds to believe that 58 women and young women were victims of rape and other forms of sexual violence”, also noting that detainees were subjected to torture.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said in a statement that such behavior could constitute war crimes and, “depending on the circumstances”, crimes against humanity.
The report does not specify the identity of the “foreigners” it refers to, but it does mention official financial statements about the participation of “trainers” in fights against militants, and statements attributed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the presence of the Wagner private security group in Mali.
The United Nations cited testimonies collected by investigators describing the foreigners as white men in military uniform speaking an “unknown” language.
The report adds that the events in Mora, which were the subject of conflicting accounts a year ago, are among the worst among their counterparts in countries that have already witnessed atrocities committed by militants and other armed groups since 2012.
The report included the most serious charges leveled against Malian forces, noting that they had already been repeatedly accused of committing abuses.
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