Death of 33 civilians: Malian army and 'white' soldiers involved

According to a professional assessment submitted to the UN and obtained by AFP on Friday, the Malian army and "white-skinned soldiers" were involved in the killings of 33 civilians.

In a report to the UN Security Council late last month, the Panel of Experts on Mali stated that the bodies of 29 Mauritanians and four Malians were discovered close to the town of Robinet El Ataye in the Segou district, where 33 residents had been assaulted and carried away on March 5.

The white men were paramilitaries from Russia's Wagner squad, an official source in New York said AFP.

The conflict between Mali and Mauritania at the time was sparked by the disappearance of the citizens.

In the border region, Nouakchott charged the Malian army with committing "repeated illegal acts" against Mauritanian citizens.

According to Bamako, there is no confirmation that its troops were involved.

Mid-March saw the start of a collaborative inquiry between the two nations; however, as of early August, the findings had not been made public.

While Bamako refers to the Russian paramilitaries in Mali as "instructors" for its security forces, Western nations claim that they are mercenaries from the contentious Wagner group.

Since the beginning of the year, the Malian army has engaged in multiple military operations to "hunt down" jihadist organizations in the central Mali provinces of Segou and Mopti.

NGOs have frequently accused its soldiers of violating human rights.

Source