Human Rights Watch Alleges Malian Forces and Wagner Group Executing, Disappearing Fulani Men
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has recently released damning reports accusing Mali's armed forces and their allied Russia-backed Wagner Group (now largely operating under the "Africa Corps" banner following Wagner's stated withdrawal in June 2025) of committing severe human rights abuses. These violations, including summary executions and enforced disappearances, primarily target ethnic Fulani men and continue a pattern documented by HRW since 2021, with new incidents reported throughout 2025.
Here's a breakdown of the key information from these reports:
Core Allegations and Concrete Numbers:
Summary Executions: Since January 2025, HRW reports that the Malian army and Wagner Group fighters have executed at least 12 Fulani men.
One particularly egregious incident in April 2025 involved the rounding up of as many as 65 Fulani herders and cattle traders from Sebabougou village in the Kayes region. These individuals were reportedly taken towards an army camp and later found dead or disappeared, with UN experts corroborating reports of dozens of decomposing bodies near the Kwala military camp between April 21-22, 2025, believed to be from this incident.
Another incident in May 2025 in Diafarabé, central Mali, saw at least 22 men, all ethnic Fulani, found dead in poorly dug mass graves after being taken into military custody. Witnesses described victims having their throats brutally slashed.
Enforced Disappearances: Beyond executions, HRW documents at least 81 enforced disappearances of Fulani men since January 2025. This means individuals are arrested by state forces or their allies, and their fate and whereabouts remain unknown, causing immense suffering for their families.
Joint Operations: These abuses are reported to have occurred during joint counterinsurgency operations carried out by the Malian army and the Russian mercenary group across several regions of Mali.
Targeting of Fulani: HRW emphasizes that Malian soldiers and Wagner Group fighters disproportionately target people belonging to the Fulani ethnic group. They are often accused of collaborating with Islamist armed groups, particularly the Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has indeed focused recruitment efforts on the Fulani community. However, HRW notes that successive Malian governments have blurred the lines between Fulani civilians and actual Islamist fighters, placing the entire community at grave risk.
Context and Broader Pattern:
Counterinsurgency Operations: These abuses are occurring within the context of Mali's ongoing struggle against various Islamist armed groups in the Sahel region. However, human rights organizations argue that such abuses by state forces only exacerbate the conflict and risk pushing communities, who might otherwise support the government, towards armed groups.
Previous Documentation: HRW has consistently documented extensive abuses by the Malian army and the Wagner Group during counterinsurgency operations across Mali since their arrival in 2021.
UN Condemnation: UN experts have expressed outrage and condemned summary executions and enforced disappearances in Mali, including specific condemnations in April and May 2025. They have repeatedly urged Malian authorities to conduct prompt, effective, thorough, independent, impartial, and transparent investigations into these allegations.
Accountability: Ilaria Allegrozzi, Senior Sahel Researcher at Human Rights Watch, has stated that high-ranking Malian and Russian officials may be held liable for international crimes committed by their fighters. Mali is a party to the International Criminal Court (ICC), meaning such grave violations of international humanitarian law could amount to war crimes.
Mali's Response:
While Malian authorities sometimes acknowledge conducting military operations, they typically deny or downplay accusations of human rights abuses. They often issue general statements about "neutralizing" combatants or claim to be investigating.
However, human rights groups consistently point to a persistent lack of credible and transparent investigations and, crucially, a lack of accountability for alleged perpetrators of these serious crimes.
The situation underscores a deeply concerning trend of human rights violations in Mali, particularly against the Fulani community, by state forces and their foreign allies. These ongoing abuses raise serious questions about the protection of civilians in conflict zones and Mali's commitment to international human rights obligations.
I'm Aisha shehu
Talksocialtalka News
