Three civil society organisations filed a case on Monday before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights over alleged abuses in Mali involving its military and Russian mercenaries.
The groups described the filing as the first known case accusing a state of hiring and hosting private military and security actors.
The case targets alleged actions linked to the Wagner Group, once widely deployed across African conflict zones alongside national armies.
According to a joint statement, the case concerns serious human rights violations against civilians in Mali during 2022, a year marked by intense conflict.
The complaint was filed by TRIAL International, Pan African Lawyers Union, and International Federation for Human Rights.
They seek to establish Mali’s responsibility for abuses committed on its territory and its failure to prevent violations or protect civilians.
The filing also urges accountability through investigations, prosecutions, and reparations for victims of alleged atrocities committed during military operations.
Mali’s junta turned to Russia and Wagner in 2021 after distancing itself from France, its former colonial power and security partner.
Despite battlefield gains in 2023, including recaptured northern strongholds, national security remained fragile and violence against civilians persisted.
Rights groups highlighted anniversaries of the Hombori and Moura massacres, underscoring a pattern of alleged abuses linked to joint operations.
In Hombori, at least 50 civilians were killed following a roadside bomb attack that killed a Russian adviser working with Malian forces.
United Nations investigators said Malian troops and foreign fighters, believed to be Wagner personnel, killed at least 500 people in Moura.
