Mali

Malian armed forces and Wagner Group foreign fighters have unlawfully killed and summarily executed several dozen civilians during counterinsurgency operations in Mali's central and northern regions since December 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. 

Malian armed forces and Wagner Group foreign fighters unlawfully killed and summarily executed several dozen civilians in counterinsurgency operations in Mali’s central and northern regions since December. … The mandate of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s independent expert on human rights in Mali, who assists the Malian government to protect human rights, should be renewed and given adequate resources.

Armed groups in Mali are increasingly deploying siege tactics as a tool of war, targeting ever larger towns and regions, disrupting local economies, and creating major access problems for humanitarian groups that are already facing constraints due to the conflict.

Several Malian soldiers died on Wednesday in a large-scale attack by suspected jihadists on a military outpost in the remote west of the landlocked West African nation.

In northern Mali, fighting has resumed between armed groups signatory to the 2015 peace agreement and government forces, even as clashes with jihadists continue. Bamako’s initiative for an inter-Malian dialogue constitutes an opportunity to restore calm.

Mali has reaffirmed its exit "without delay" from the West African bloc Ecowas, saying it is not bound by the organisation's one-year timeframe for withdrawal. Burkina Faso and Niger also said they intend to follow suit.

The recent series of military coups in the Sahel has led the EU to reassess its posture in the region. This Brief explores the challenges the EU faces in balancing strategic interests with its commitment to democratic values, and puts forward recommendations for future engagement in a region that remains critical for European security interests.

The African Union (AU) on Tuesday called for dialogue between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and junta-led countries Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso who have said they will leave the bloc.

Mali's junta has set up a committee to organise a national peace dialogue after it scrapped a key 2015 peace deal with northern separatist groups following months of hostilities.

Separatist Tuareg forces on Tuesday rejected the idea of a direct inter-Malian dialogue for peace and reconciliation put forward by the country's military rulers, after months of hostilities between rebels and the army.