Russia’s Africa Corps killed Mali civilians in air strike

Al Jazeera:

Human Rights Watch has accused Russia’s government-controlled paramilitaries of killing eight civilians, including three children, in an air strike in central Mali.

In a report published on Friday, the rights watchdog alleged that the attacks by Africa Corps took place on June 15 in the village of Kyrnia, in Mali’s Mopti region.

“The junta has to impartially investigate all possible war crimes committed on their territory, including the airstrikes in Kyrnia, or be held complicit in abuses,” HRW Sahel researcher Ilaria Allegrozzi said.

Military-led Mali is battling multiple armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS), and has lost large swaths of territory in recent years.

Russian paramilitaries – first from the mercenary Wagner group, and later the Kremlin-run Africa Corps – have fought alongside Malian soldiers since 2021. Their alliance, however, faces mounting reports of violence against civilians.

HRW’s report said an aircraft identified by two Malian military sources as a Sukhoi Su-24 dropped at least two munitions on Kyrnia during the June attack. One strike hit outside the village chief’s residence, killing his wife, two children and several others. A second strike hit a small cattle market, resulting in four deaths and wounding two people, it said.

At least 100 fighters from the al-Qaeda backed Jamaat Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) were in the village at the time of the strike, the report noted, adding that JNIM has controlled Kyrnia for six years.

However, no JNIM locations were hit, HRW said.