Human Rights Watch Says Russia’s Africa Corps Killed Nine Villagers in Mali
A Human Rights Watch investigation published on 20 August accuses Russia's Africa Corps of killing nine civilians, four of them children, in a Mali village in July. The post Human Rights Watch Says Russia’s Africa Corps Killed Nine Villagers in Mali appeared first on The Rio Times .
Human Rights Watch reported that Russia's Africa Corps killed nine civilians, including four children aged between six and 17, in the Malian village of Bombori on 10 July 2026. The report, published on 20 August, stated that over 100 fighters entered the village around 5 am, detaining at least 80 men and boys. Four Malian soldiers acted as interpreters during the operation.
After the raid, six of the nine victims were shot while trying to flee, and three were taken away and executed, one of them beheaded. Eight homes were looted and burned, and five granaries were destroyed. The village had been under the control of the armed group JNIM since 2017. The difference between the attack on the Fulani neighborhood and the spared Rimaïbé quarter raised questions about the operation's targeting.
Human Rights Watch wrote letters to the Russian and Malian defense ministers on 4 and 5 August 2026, but received no response. The Russia-backed Africa Corps replaced the Wagner Group in Mali after the latter's withdrawal in June 2025. Russia's presence in Mali has been ongoing since late 2021 when the country's junta turned to Moscow.
The formation operates under the Russian defence ministry rather than as a private company, making accountability more difficult. The article does not provide alternative accounts of the event and emphasizes that the information is based on remote interviews and the testimony of individuals who witnessed the attack.
Written by urgent.news from The Rio Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
