Mali forces and Russia’s Africa Corps accused of grave abuses alongside jihadists

A new investigation published Monday, June 29, 2026, presents a damning indictment of the forces operating in Mali. Since the military turning point of April 25, the regular army, its Russian allies, and Islamist insurgents have engaged in an escalation of violence. Beyond the human toll, the report highlights a devastating strategy of economic strangulation that leaves civilian populations in extreme precarity.

The spiral of violence after the fall of Kidal

Spring 2026 marked a major breaking point in Mali’s crisis. On April 25, a combined action by jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jnim) and separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) resulted in the capture of Kidal and the elimination of Defense Minister Sadio Camara. This defeat triggered a massive riposte from the central government. The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), backed by Russian instructors from Africa Corps, immediately launched a high-intensity counter-offensive campaign. While authorities keep the human cost secret, compiled data documents at least 13 dead and 25 wounded among civilians during the initial clashes in Gao and Kidal.

The fuel war: targeting the economy

On the ground, Jnim’s strategy shifted toward economic terrorism. To pressure Bamako, Al-Qaeda-linked networks sought to cut the country’s logistical lifelines by imposing strict road blockades. Commercial transport became the primary target of this war of attrition. Between May 6 and 21, over 40 civilian transport vehicles heading to the capital were intercepted and burned. More structurally significant is the systematic targeting of fuel tankers, which since September 2025 has cost drivers their lives and paralyzed distribution networks. This logistical strangulation deprives entire regions of electricity and fuel, causing school closures and halting local market activity.

The insurgents’ oppression also manifests through targeted terror, such as the public execution of a resident in Tonka, near Timbuktu, to discourage any resistance.

Mechanisms of the humanitarian crisis:

• Jnim tactic: road blockades lead to energy shortages and inflation.
• FAMa/Russia response: indiscriminate drone raids cause displacement and civilian casualties.

Civilians targeted by the Bamako-Moscow alliance

Meanwhile, the FAMa and Africa Corps response has resulted in considerable civilian losses. The investigation denounces systematic abuses during security operations in central Mali, where Fulani communities are violently conflated with insurgent movements. Between May 14 and 17 alone, documentation identified 38 civilians killed during ground incursions, including 23 minors. Added to this is the tragic cost of next-generation drone strikes: Guimbé (April 25): an aerial bombardment killed 12 children and teenagers. Téné (May 17): a strike directly hit a wedding ceremony, leaving 10 civilians dead.

Justifications and lack of dialogue

When questioned about the legitimacy of its targets and the asphyxiation imposed on transport infrastructure, Jnim leadership responded to the investigators. The armed group claimed that the targeted civilians refused to submit to the decrees and regulations imposed by the movement in its zones of influence. On the Malian state side, the Ministry of Justice remained silent, leaving requests for clarification and right-of-reply protocols unanswered.

Call for an international inquiry

Faced with these flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits indiscriminate attacks on non-combatants, impunity remains the main obstacle to peace. According to a Sahel specialist, this historic lack of accountability fuels Mali’s tragedy. Deprived of the monitoring mechanisms of the former UN mission, the country sinks into arbitrariness. The investigation now urges the African Union and the United Nations to urgently sponsor a fact-finding mission to collect the material evidence necessary for future criminal proceedings.