Mali: Investigating New Human Rights Violations
Summary:
New human rights abuses have emerged from Mali. According to the Human Rights Watch, armed forces and foreign fighters have executed and forcibly disappeared several dozen civilians in Mali region within the past year. In addition, they have destroyed and looted civilian property and allegedly tortured detainees.
Human Rights Watch sent two letters on June 26th to Mali’s Justice and Defense ministers describing the reported abuses in detail. The government responded to these letters, stating that they were not aware of any human rights violations, but that they will be investigated and brought to the attention of the public.
Malian residents were interviewed, stating that the country’s armed forces committed these abuses during military operations. Witnesses described the involvement of foreign, non-French speaking armed men committing the abuses. The witnesses stated that helicopters were firing, and that the forces physically assaulted citizens and looted their belongings. The Mali government has denied the presence of these groups, known as the Wagner fighters, in the area.
History:
These reported abuses add to a long history of abuses and discriminations in Mali. In 2020, the Economic Community of West African Studies (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on Mali after the country extended the political transition phase that followed the 2020 coup. While the sanctions were lifted, the country reportedly deployed Wagner fighters who the committed abuses.
In May 2021, the military overthrew the government. Assimi Goita, one of the coup leaders, was sworn in as president. Parliamentary elections were delayed, and the results of the election were manipulated by the Constitutional Court. Evidence also suggests that the Wagner forces were deployed during this time. This was the second coup in less than a year, after the military took power from President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in 2020. Civilian authorities such as the National Police force have a responsibility to control the forces of civilian and military security. However, these reports indicate that those security forces still committed serious abuses, in spite of the force being present.
Authorities have made some progress in individual terrorism-related cases, but not for large-scale atrocities that implicate these soldiers. Hundreds of people have been detained for court trials, and the government pursued corruption cases linked to the fraudulent purchase of military hardware and equipment during the administration of President Keita. However, there has been no effort to implement the recommendations provided by the UN International Commission of Inquiry against the war crimes committed by these forces between 2012 and 2018. The fact that the government has not applied these recommendations over time signifies a consistent overlooking of systemic war crimes against the Malian people.
Key Actors:
The actions of the Mali government has led to consequences and accountability from other countries. Countries such as the United States, France, Germany, the EU and the United Kingdom have condemned the government’s deployment of Wagner soldiers. The strained relationship between the EU and Mali over these abuses led to the government withdrawing support for the Training Mission in Mali (EUTM) and the EU Capacity Building Mission (EUCAP). The consequences of this withdrawal include concern about the longevity of the UN Peacekeeping mission, as well for the longevity of EUTM and EUPCAP.
The EU has also imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on five members of the transitional government, including non-essential financial transactions and the freezing of Malian state assets. In August 2020, the US froze their military assistance pending free and fair elections and in November 2022, France suspended development assistance to the country. These restrictions show that the Malian government’s actions have consequences for itself and for its relationships with other countries. These actions will hopefully provide accountability for the government to remove the Wagner group and to have free and fair elections.
Predictions
While there is little evidence that the Malian government has addressed these systemic abuses, the consequences of their inaction as well as the accountability held from ally countries will hopefully encourage the government to take these reports seriously. The government has expressed shock and concern over these decisions to withdraw support, and not adhering to their demands for change will do great harm to the country’s military and economy. The pressure the Malian government is facing will likely lead to the removal of Wagner forces and address the abuses for the well-being of all Malian citizens.