The withdrawal of the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations mission MINUSMA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali), established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2100 on April 25, 2013, and operational since July 1, 2013, has left a security vacuum that has led to an escalation of violence in the Menaka and Gao regions. The mission was withdrawn on July 1, 2024. According to a recent Human Rights Watch report, rapes, killings, and other atrocities are on the rise, fueled by both Islamist armed groups and the Malian armed forces, as well as mercenaries from the Wagner Group.
Since the French troops withdrew from Mali in 2022, the Malian forces, often in collaboration with the Russian mercenary group Wagner, have intensified operations against jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS. These groups not only attack government forces but also target civilians, deteriorating security conditions and exacerbating the existing humanitarian crisis.
Following the death of its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group has been fully integrated into the Russian Federation’s military, and its activities in Africa have been renamed as “Africa Korpus”. This new entity continues to collaborate with the Malian forces, further increasing pressure on local communities.
The consequences of the UN’s withdrawal have been devastating for local communities. The lack of protection has exposed civilians to systematic violence by armed groups, who often exploit the chaos to commit atrocities with impunity. The brutal attack in the village of Ogota, where jihadist militants killed 28 people, including children and the elderly, burning houses and terrorizing residents, remains starkly evident.
The Malian government has rejected accusations of human rights violations, calling the reports “biased” and insisting on the professionalism of its armed forces. However, the international community, including the African Union and ECOWAS, has urged Mali to allow independent and transparent investigations to bring those responsible for atrocities to justice.
The situation in Mali continues to worsen with the departure of the United Nations peacekeeping forces. The country is at the mercy of armed groups exploiting the absence of an international presence to expand their control and intensify violence against civilians. The international community must act to provide protection and humanitarian assistance while promoting a lasting political solution to the conflict.
