Mali - France is gravely concerned by reports of large-scale abuses in central Mali (04 Apr. 2022)

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France is gravely concerned by reports of large-scale abuses in the village of Moura by members of the Malian armed forces accompanied by Russian mercenaries belonging to the Wagner Group. These abuses reportedly took hundreds of civilian lives.

France offers its condolences to the victims’ families and calls for the prompt launch of national and international investigations in order to assign responsibility for these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.

France is concerned by the increasing number of abuses that have taken place in central Mali since the start of 2022 and the impunity with which they are carried out. We call on the Malian authorities to take the necessary measures to stem this violence. We would like to see MINUSMA use all means at its disposal to shed light on these events and help protect civilians, in accordance with its mandate.

The fight against active terrorist groups in the Sahel must never under any circumstances justify human rights violations. Indiscriminate violence against civilians will only serve to strengthen these groups.