UN experts demand an investigation into the "possible crimes" of the Malian army and the "Wagner group"
A member of the Malian special forces in January 2022. (photo illustration) AFP - FLORENT VERGNES
Text by: David Baché
4 mins
In Mali, UN experts demand an investigation into the “
possible crimes
” of the Malian army and the “
Wagner group
”.
This was announced on Tuesday January 31 by the United Nations Human Rights Council, which commissioned these independent experts.
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Specialists in subjects related to mercenary activity, torture or minorities, these experts have been mandated by the UN but are not employed by the United Nations and have worked on a voluntary basis.
Their speech is moreover freer than that of the United Nations since they quote the Wagner Group without detour.
UN reports usually speak of “
foreign military escorts
” of the Malian army, or other such formulas.
The independent experts mandated by the UN for their part very clearly denounce the “
possible international crimes committed by
government forces” and the “
Wagner group
” since 2021.
"
Horrible Executions
"
These experts claim to have received "
persistent and alarming accounts of horrific executions, mass graves, acts of torture, rape and sexual violence, looting, arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances
", particularly in the Mopti region. , in the center of the country.
The case of
the Moura military operation
last March is highlighted, the
experts claim to have “credible information
” according to which “
several hundred people”
were “
executed
” .
“
Most were from the Fulani minority
underline the experts, confirming the warnings launched by many local sources and by representatives of civil society.
“
These are military operations conducted jointly by the Wagner group and the Malian Armed Forces
,” explains Jelena Aparac, member of the committee of experts mandated by the UN and more specifically of
the Working Group on the use of mercenaries
.
“
We see that these massacres and abuses are carried out almost systematically.
(...) We have seen decapitated bodies, extrajudicial executions, we have information on rapes and sexual violence, information on enforced disappearances.
It can be qualified as war crimes, or even crimes against humanity in certain cases.
»
"Hidden Agenda"
The Malian authorities of transition, they still present the Russian auxiliaries of the national army as simple "
instructors
", systematically deny the allegations of abuses against its Fama, and also deny any targeting of the Fulani community.
Those who dare to talk about it are accused of having a "
hidden agenda
": this is the reproach that the Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdoulaye Diop, recently addressed to Aminata Dicko, of the Kisal association, a human rights observatory for pastoral communities in the Sahel.
The scene took place before the United Nations Security Council last week.
“Climate of Terror”
UN experts refer to other operations “
defined as counter-terrorism
”, in Nia Ouro, Gouni and Fakala, and say they are “
troubled by the apparent increase in the allocation of traditional military functions to the Wagner group
.
These experts also denounce “
a general climate of terror for the victims and total impunity for the abuses of the Wagner group
.
»
► To read also:
The Minusma notes an explosion of violence in Mali
“
Victims or witnesses don't really have the means to testify
,” says Jelena Aparac, one of the experts commissioned by the UN.
There is no follow-up given to the investigations, there are acts of torture against those who wish to lodge a complaint, so we are really very worried about this climate of impunity, and intimidation of all those who could possibly testify or provide information
.
»
The UN experts therefore demand an “
independent and immediate investigation
” and specify that they have “
expressed their concerns to the Malian government
.
»
Unpublished surveys
As a reminder, the Minusma like the Malian authorities have already announced investigations into Moura and other cases where allegations of abuse have been reported.
The
Malian transitional authorities have always denied
Minusma investigators access to the villages in question, but they were still able to carry out interviews and cross-check facts.
On the Malian side, the Military Justice officially opened a procedure after the Moura operation, and in its press releases, the army ensures to open investigations for each allegation.
But whether it is that of the Minusma or that of the Malian army, none of the investigations already carried out on Moura has been published to date.
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