(Nairobi) – Mali’s armed forces and the allied Russia -controlled Africa Corps have committed new atrocities against civilians in central Mali during renewed fighting, Human Rights Watch said today.

On September 16, 2026, an apparent military drone strike in Guélédié village, Mopti region, killed eight civilians and injured at least six others. Between May and August, Malian and Africa Corps forces held numerous detainees inhumanely in a metal container at an army base in Sévaré town, Mopti region, where many were tortured, including with severe beatings, electric shock, and waterboarding.

“Civilians are bearing the brunt of the Mali junta’s failure to rein in its abusive forces and allies,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi , senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch.…