Commission Accuses Malian Army, Armed Groups of War Crimes

A report by the International Commission on Mali has indicted the Malian army and several armed groups for committing “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity”.

The commission was established by the United Nations with the report sent to members of the Security Council.

The commission said it has gathered “reasonable grounds to believe” that the Malian army has “committed war crimes.”

In 2012, the Malian military seized power in a coup supposed to halt the army’s defeat of the independence and jihadist rebels in the North, plunging the country into an ongoing crisis.

In 2012-2013, the security and defense forces were guilty of “assassinations” targeting “particularly members of the Tuareg and Arab communities,” associating them with independence rebels and jihadist groups.

The almost 350-page report also advocates for the creation of a court specialized in international crimes.

Established in January 2018, the commission, composed of Sweden’s Lena Sundh, Cameroon’s Simon Munzu, and Mauritian Vinod Boolell, investigated the period between 2012-2018.

It submitted its report in mid-2020 to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who forwarded it to the 15- member Security Council last week.

Unlike other reports, the findings of this commission could likely provide a legal basis for future trials.

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