At least 34 civilians were killed in seven incidents during joint military operations by Mali’s army and Russia’s Wagner mercenary group between June 2023 and December 2025, Amnesty International said in a report on Tuesday.
The rights organisation said the deaths occurred in Mali’s Segou, Mopti and Timbuktu regions, including areas along the border with Mauritania.
According to the report, the victims were not participating in hostilities and were mostly members of pastoralist communities who were allegedly targeted because of their ethnicity and presence in areas where jihadist groups were active.
Amnesty said the incidents involved killings, alleged torture, drone strikes and the destruction of civilian property.
“These murders were deliberate: the victims were shot, had their throats cut, or were burned alive,” the organisation said, adding that the acts documented in the report amounted to war crimes.
People interviewed by Amnesty said they were tortured, mainly by Wagner members, during patrols or while being held at military bases.
A herder who fled to Mauritania told the organisation that security forces viewed pastoralists as terrorists and consequently attacked people and property.
Mali’s military-led government, which came to power following coups in 2020 and 2021, has denied killing civilians during operations against jihadist groups.
The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Moscow also did not respond.
Amnesty said it submitted its findings to the Malian authorities on August 3 but had received no response by the time of publication.
Wagner withdrew from Mali in 2025, but the Africa Corps, which includes many former Wagner fighters, continues to operate in the country.
