Mali: central region massacres spark calls for justice

In a devastating series of events, the Malian army and its allied militias are implicated in the killings of at least 31 civilians and the burning of homes across two villages within the conflict-ridden Ségou region. These tragic incidents unfolded on October 2 and 13, prompting urgent calls for accountability.

On October 2, Malian armed forces, alongside Dozos militias—primarily composed of Bambara ethnic individuals who have engaged in counter-insurgency operations for a decade—killed at least 21 men and torched a minimum of 10 houses in Kamona village. Just over a week later, on October 13, these same forces were responsible for the deaths of 9 men and one woman in Balle village, approximately 55 kilometers away. Both villages are located in a central Mali area under the control of the Al-Qaïda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM or Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen, JNIM). Witnesses described soldiers and Dozos militias summarily executing villagers, accusing them of collaborating with the GSIM.

“The October massacres in the Ségou region represent the latest in a disturbing pattern of atrocities attributed to the Malian army and its allied militias,” stated Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher. “Malian authorities must initiate a credible and impartial investigation into these killings and ensure those responsible face justice through fair trials.”

Investigations involved telephone interviews conducted in October with 10 individuals possessing direct knowledge of the incidents, including 5 witnesses and 5 community leaders, civil society activists, and journalists. On November 8, communications were sent to Mali’s Ministers of Justice and Defense, detailing findings and posing questions, but no response was received prior to the publication of this information.

Eyewitnesses identified the soldiers by their camouflage uniforms and the Dozos by their traditional attire and amulets worn around their necks.

The events of October 2 began around 10 a.m. when soldiers, traveling in at least seven pick-up trucks and three armored vehicles, along with Dozos militiamen on motorcycles, entered Kamona. Their immediate objective was to search for men in the village. Witnesses reported that GSIM fighters had forewarned residents of the army’s approach, leading many inhabitants to flee.

“Those unable to escape were rounded up and executed,” a survivor recounted.

Witnesses confirmed that GSIM fighters had already departed the village before the army’s arrival, precluding any direct confrontation between the two factions.

Villagers believe these killings are linked to recent GSIM attacks in the Ségou region, including an August 8 assault that destroyed the Siribala sugar factory.

Following the attack, villagers discovered 17 bodies beneath a tree within the village and four additional bodies north of Kamona. They detailed how soldiers had set fire to at least 10 huts and 3 sheds, all belonging to members of the Peule ethnic group.

A 40-year-old shepherd, who had sought refuge with his 9-year-old daughter in an abandoned house, described finding the 17 bodies after the attackers left around 4 p.m. “The people had been riddled with bullets,” he stated. “One individual’s head was completely crushed. I also observed numerous bullet casings near the bodies.”

Another man, aged 39, assisted with the burials. “We dug a mass grave under the tree and placed the 17 men’s bodies there,” he explained. “Further north, we found four more bodies. All had been shot in the stomach and head, so we dug another pit, laid them inside, and covered them with sand.”

Villagers provided a list of the 21 victims, all men ranging from 20 to 65 years old. They suspect additional people may have been killed during the assault. “We heard at least 15 more men were killed in the bush that day,” a villager noted. “But we didn’t go to verify, fearing the army would return.”

On October 13, around 1 p.m., Malian soldiers in five pick-up trucks and Dozos militiamen on at least 30 motorcycles entered Balle village, causing some residents to flee. “I didn’t run immediately, but when I saw soldiers going door-to-door, slapping and kicking men, I fled,” a 24-year-old man recalled. “From my hiding place, I heard gunshots.”

Witnesses reported that soldiers and Dozos militiamen killed 10 civilians, including a 55-year-old woman and nine men aged 22 to 67, and stole at least 100 cows.

A 33-year-old man described finding the 10 bodies in the center of the village after the attack. “They were lying next to each other, riddled with bullets,” he said. “Some had broken legs and arms.”

The 21-year-old daughter of the slain woman recounted her mother confronting the soldiers, accusing them of mistreating villagers. “She walked towards the soldiers,” the daughter stated. “They then took her to where the men had been gathered and shot her.”

In a communiqué dated October 14, the Malian Army Chief of Staff announced that on October 13, soldiers conducted an “offensive reconnaissance” operation near Balle, which “resulted in the neutralization of about twenty terrorists” and the seizure of military equipment.

Witnesses and residents explained that Balle had been under GSIM control for several years. “We pay zakat [Islamic tax] annually,” one man stated. “If there are disputes, the jihadists resolve them. There are no soldiers, gendarmes, or police here. Therefore, the army assumes we are GSIM fighters. The army makes no distinction between them and us.”

Since 2012, successive Malian governments have engaged in armed conflicts against various Islamist armed groups. These hostilities have claimed thousands of civilian lives and displaced over 402,000 people. Documented abuses include serious violations by the Malian armed forces and their allied militias and mercenary groups during counter-insurgency operations, as well as atrocities committed by the GSIM and other armed factions.

The military attacks against civilians in the Ségou region occurred after the GSIM initiated a siege of Bamako, Mali’s capital, in early September. The siege disrupted Bamako’s fuel supply and prompted the military junta to temporarily close all schools and universities nationwide.

All parties involved in Mali’s armed conflict are bound by international humanitarian law, including Common Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and customary laws of war. These laws prohibit direct attacks on civilians, as well as the murder, cruel treatment, and torture of anyone in detention. Individuals who commit or are responsible for grave violations of the laws of war with criminal intent, or under command responsibility, may face prosecution for war crimes.

Despite Mali’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in September, the nation remains a State Party to the Court’s Rome Statute until September 2026. In January 2013, the Court initiated an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Mali since 2012.

The African Union (AU) has largely failed to respond effectively to Mali’s escalating conflict, despite its mandate to promote peace and security. As the security situation has deteriorated in recent months, the AU Peace and Security Council has done little beyond issuing statements expressing concern.

“The AU Peace and Security Council must prioritize this conflict in Mali,” Ilaria Allegrozzi concluded. “It should regularly convene briefings, intensify diplomatic efforts, and coordinate regional and international actions to strengthen accountability for abuses committed by all parties.”