Malian Armed Forces, supported on certain occasions by foreign military elements, increased military operations to combat terrorism. some of which sometimes ended in serious allegations of violations of human rights, the U.N.’s Malian mission, known as MINUSMA, said in the report. Western powers strongly opposed Wagner’s intervention, warning that it could stoke violence in Mali and neighbouring countries where communities face growing levels of drought, malnutrition and poverty.
MINUSMA documented 320 human rights violations by the Malian military in the January-March period, compared with 31 in the previous three months. The most notable case was in the town of Moura, where witnesses and rights groups say the Malian army accompanied by white fighters killed scores of civilians they suspected of being militants. In addition to summary executions, security forces also allegedly raped, looted, arrested and arbitrarily detained many civilians during the military operation, MINUSMA said. MINUSMA is conducting an investigation but has been refused access to the town. MINUSMA said its request will only be considered once the government has conducted its own investigation.