According to HRW, on July 10, more than 100 Russian fighters, accompanied by several Malian soldiers, stormed the village of Bomborio in the central Mopti region at dawn, searching for jihadists.
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The organization added that Bomborio had been controlled since 2017 by the “Islamic and Muslim Support Group” (JNIM), linked to Al-Qaeda, and its fighters had established a base nearby.
“They stormed homes in a Fulani ethnic group settlement, dragged people outside, and gathered at least 80 men and boys under a tree,” the human rights organization said in a statement.
The Fulani ethnic group is constantly accused of replenishing jihadist ranks in much of West Africa.
“There, fighters beat men and boys, interrogated them about alleged ties to armed Islamist groups, and threatened to kill them if they did not reveal information,” HRW said.
“They shot six civilians who tried to escape and detained and killed three more – one of them was beheaded,” the organization added.
According to HRW, after the fighters of the African corps withdrew, residents found nine bodies – five men and four children, aged between six and 17 years.
The organization said it remotely interviewed 13 people, including four witnesses of the attack and nine representatives of civil society and community leaders.
This Sahel region country has been experiencing a serious security crisis since 2012, fueled especially by violence from jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group, as well as actions by criminal gangs and armed separatists.
The junta ruling Mali, which came to power after two consecutive coups in 2020 and 2021, has turned away from its former colonial ruler France and has moved closer to Russia both militarily and politically.
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