Bamako, Mali – Human Rights Watch refuted the official account given by the Russian Africa Legion regarding an airstrike it claimed to have carried out against terrorist leaders in central Mali, asserting that the bombing killed eight innocent civilians, including three children, while no militants were killed. The organization’s investigation, based on testimonies, satellite imagery, and analysis of the Legion’s own recordings, revealed that a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jet dropped two bombs on the village of Kernia in the Mopti region on June 15. The investigation indicated that the first strike targeted the area around the village chief’s house, killing his wife, two of his children, and a third child, while the second strike hit a nearby livestock market, killing four men.
The narrative of targeting “terrorist gatherings” collapses, along with field evidence.
Although the African Legion posted aerial footage on Facebook and X of a raid that allegedly targeted a “gathering place for terrorist groups” and field commanders, Human Rights Watch used the same recordings to pinpoint the location. The organization acknowledged the presence of about 100 members of the “Supporting Islam and Muslims” group, which is linked to Al-Qaeda, in the village and which it has controlled for years. However, these members were present near a mosque and a local store that were not affected by the bombing in the first place. The human rights organization confirmed that the strikes did not target specific military targets, describing the raids as “random and illegal” attacks.
Political responsibility and human rights demands for investigation and accountability
These developments come amid major military shifts in Mali, where government forces have been battling rebels and extremist groups for over a decade, recently relying on Russian military support (the African Legion) following Bamako’s decision to expel French troops. In its concluding remarks, Human Rights Watch called on Malian authorities to launch a fair and independent investigation and hold those responsible for these abuses accountable, emphasizing that the Malian government bears full responsibility for the violations committed by its Russian ally on its territory. Neither Moscow nor Bamako has yet responded to these serious human rights allegations.
