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Mali’s military and allied militia groups have reportedly killed at least 31 civilians in two separate attacks in the central Ségou region, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a story released on Tuesday.
The area is known to host active cells of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al Qaeda-linked insurgent group, according to a report by Reuters.
According to HRW, the first attack occurred on October 2 in the village of Kamona, where soldiers and militia fighters allegedly executed at least 21 men and set homes ablaze.
A second assault took place in Balle, about 55 kilometres away, where at least 10 people — among them a woman — were reportedly killed.
Witnesses told HRW that troops and militia members accused villagers of collaborating with JNIM before carrying out the killings.
A herder who survived by hiding in an abandoned house with his nine-year-old daughter later discovered 17 bodies riddled with bullets, the report said.
The African Union and Mali’s military have not yet commented on the allegations.
HRW has urged Malian authorities to launch an immediate investigation and called on the African Union to help curb the escalating violence and ensure accountability for abuses.
Mali continues to face mounting pressure from jihadist groups, which have stepped up attacks on state forces.
Recently, insurgents imposed a fuel blockade that has caused long queues at petrol stations and increased the cost of operating diesel generators.
Despite growing insecurity, Mali’s foreign minister this week dismissed suggestions that jihadists were close to seizing the capital, Bamako, calling such claims implausible.
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