Amnesty accuses Mali army, Wagner of war crimes

Amnesty International accused the Malian army and Wagner Group personnel of committing war crimes between 2023 and 2025. The organization reported that at least 34 civilians were unlawfully killed in seven locations, while others faced torture, forced disappearances, and severe abuse. The report, titled 'No one is spared', focused on the Ségou, Mopti, and Timbuktu regions.

Victims were allegedly shot while fleeing, and some were subjected to throat slitting, burning alive, or burning to death. In February 2025, four people were killed in a hamlet in Timbuktu during a joint patrol by the Malian armed forces and Wagner personnel. Amnesty documented two drone strikes by the Malian army, killing at least 23 people, including five children, in Ejdeir and Tangata.

The organization found no evidence of armed group members or military objectives at these sites and called for these incidents to be investigated as potential war crimes. Additionally, Amnesty documented alleged torture at military bases in Léré and Nampala, involving 30 people, with five deaths resulting from torture and poor detention conditions.

The victims were mostly pastoralist communities, including Fulani, Arabs, and Tuaregs. Amnesty's Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Marceau Sivieude, called for impartial investigations and urged the Malian authorities to protect civilians, clarify the chain of command for foreign military personnel, and establish an independent accountability mechanism.

The findings were submitted to Malian authorities on August 3, 2026, but no response was received by publication.