Amnesty reports civilian deaths and torture in Mali operations

Amnesty International says Malian armed forces and Wagner personnel killed at least 34 civilians in seven locations during joint operations from June 2023 through December 2025, and documented torture and other abuses in a report published this week. The findings, based largely on interviews with refugees and witnesses, describe incidents in the Ségou, Mopti and Timbuktu regions. Malian authorities had not responded to the report by publication, the organization said. Amnesty said none of the 34 people it identified was directly participating in hostilities when killed. It reported that some were shot while fleeing or after arrest, while others were killed by other means. Four people were killed during a joint patrol in the hamlet of Tin Adanda in Timbuktu on February 12, 2025, according to the report. The report also describes two drone strikes in Timbuktu in 2025 that Amnesty said killed at least 23 people, including at least five children. One hit a market in Ejdeir on March 16, killing 16 people and injuring seven, according to witness accounts cited by the organization. Amnesty said witnesses reported no fighters or military targets at the market.