Jihadists and ethnic militias killed 45 Malian civilians: HRW

According to HRW, in early January, Dozo militiamen – traditional hunters made up mostly of ethnic Bambara – killed 13 civilians and kidnapped 24 others in the villages of Boura and Kalala, which are predominantly Fulani ethnic groups.

“These attacks occurred amid recurring killings and communal violence in central Mali,” the NGO added.

HRW called the attacks in January “blatant war crimes” and called on Malian authorities to “urgently investigate the abuses.”

Mali has been plunged into turmoil since 2012 by independence and Salafist insurgencies in the north.

The country’s center has become a hotbed of violence since 2015 as jihadist groups emerged, particularly under the leadership of firebrand Fulani preacher Amadou Koufa, who is largely recruited from his own community.

The violence has spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger

Clashes between the Fulani, who are mainly herders, and the Bambara and Dogon, who are mostly farmers, have increased, leading to the formation of ethnic self-defense groups.

The deteriorating security situation, remote locations and lack of reliable information mean that attacks often take a long time to confirm.

The Malian armed forces, together with the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, have increased their operations in the center of the country in recent months.

They are also accused of numerous attacks on civilians, especially the Fulani.

“The Malian interim government’s failure to hold Islamist armed groups and ethnic militias accountable only encourages abusive forces to commit further atrocities,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at HRW.

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