Rights Group Urges Malian Authorities To Take Greater Action To Prosecute Armed Militias

Rights Group Urges Malian Authorities to Take Greater Action to Prosecute Armed Militias

Last year has been the deadliest for Malian civilians since the political and military crisis in the country began in 2012, a prominent human rights watchdog said in a report on Monday, calling on the Malian authorities to take additional action to investigate and prosecute armed groups that continue commit atrocities

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th February, 2020) Last year has been the deadliest for Malian civilians since the political and military crisis in the country began in 2012, a prominent human rights watchdog said in a report on Monday, calling on the Malian authorities to take additional action to investigate and prosecute armed groups that continue commit atrocities.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Mali's government promised to bring those responsible for attacks against civilians to justice. However, officials have yet to prosecute a number of leading militia commanders, highlighting a lack of accountability, the watchdog stated.

"Malian authorities should devote greater energy and resources to appropriately investigate and prosecute all those responsible for the serious abuses ... Mali's international partners should increase support for the judiciary in central Mali and the Bamako-based Specialized Judicial Unit for Terrorism and Organized Crime, whose mandate was expanded in 2019 to include war crimes and other grave international offenses," HRW said in a press release accompanying the report.

At least 456 civilians were killed during attacks carried out in the African country in 2019, the rights group stated, adding that the government's failure to act was exacerbating the situation.

"Armed groups are killing, maiming and terrorizing communities throughout central Mali with no apparent fear of being held to account ... The Malian government's failure to punish armed groups on all sides is emboldening them to commit further atrocities," Corinne Dufka, HRW's West Africa director, said in the press release.

Mali has struggled to contain an Islamist insurgency that began in 2012 and overran the country. The French military launched Operation Serval in 2013, with the goal of driving out extremists from the country. The operation ended in 2014.

French forces now monitor the situation in Africa's Sahel region as part of Operation Barkhane. In December, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 33 extremists were killed in Mali during anti-insurgent operations.