Human Rights Watch Accuses Russian Paramilitaries of Mali Civilian Killings

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Russia’s Africa Corps of killing eight civilians, including three children, in an airstrike in central Mali on June 15. The rights group said the strike hit the village of Kyrnia in the Mopti region and caused deaths among residents who were not taking part in hostilities.

HRW said the operation was presented as an attack on a location allegedly used by Jamaat Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an armed group described as affiliated with al-Qaeda. However, the organisation said its investigation indicates the munitions struck civilian sites rather than insurgent positions.

Details HRW cited from its investigation

According to HRW’s report, an aircraft identified as a Sukhoi Su-24 dropped at least two munitions on Kyrnia. HRW said its investigators concluded that the impact points were a residence and a cattle market.

HRW said this finding does not match the stated aim of hitting JNIM-linked targets. The organisation described the strike as unlawfully indiscriminate, arguing that those responsible failed to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.

Africa Corps statement and conflicting accounts

The Africa Corps, in a statement dated June 23, said the strike eliminated several field commanders. HRW’s account disputes that outcome, saying the munitions did not land on the positions the group said it targeted.

The differing claims leave key questions unresolved, including the specific intelligence used to select the target and whether any precautions were taken to reduce harm to civilians. HRW’s report focuses on the locations hit and the resulting civilian deaths.

Role of Russia-linked forces in Mali since 2021

HRW noted that the Africa Corps has operated alongside the Malian military since 2021. It linked that development to the withdrawal of French forces from the area, a shift that has reshaped security partnerships in parts of the Sahel.

The organisation said the Kyrnia strike has intensified scrutiny of the conduct of Russia-backed forces operating in the region. HRW framed the case as part of broader concerns over how armed groups and partner forces carry out operations in populated areas.

Calls for an investigation and wider civilian toll

HRW called on Mali’s military junta to open an impartial investigation into the June 15 airstrike. The group warned that if the authorities fail to investigate, the government could be viewed as complicit in potential war crimes.

Separately, the United Nations has reported that violence across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger led to more than 2,260 civilian deaths in the first quarter of 2026 alone, underscoring the scale of harm to non-combatants in the region.