Malian armed forces are accused of arresting and executing around two dozen Fulani civilians in a rural area near Diafarabe, central Mali, according to local activists. The victims were reportedly rounded up at a livestock market on Monday, taken by canoe to an island cemetery on the Niger River, and killed, some with their throats slit, before being buried in a mass grave.
A survivor’s testimony, relayed by an activist affiliated with the Fulani advocacy group Tabital Pulaaku, revealed the gruesome details. Women from Diafarabe staged a rare public protest on Wednesday, demanding accountability for the disappearance of their loved ones.
Neither the Malian armed forces nor their Russian military partners, formerly Wagner, now operating as Africa Corps, responded to requests for comment.
The alleged massacre adds to a growing list of accusations against Mali’s military and its foreign allies. Human Rights Watch and the United Nations have raised alarms about ongoing atrocities, including recent discoveries of decomposing bodies near a military camp in Koulikoro.
The military-led government, in power since coups in 2020 and 2021, has severed ties with Western forces and embraced Russian support. However, public discontent is escalating due to delayed elections and increased political repression. Earlier this month, hundreds protested in the capital, demanding democratic reforms and rejecting proposed measures to extend junta leader Assimi Goita’s rule and dissolve political parties.
International observers continue to call for thorough investigations and a return to democratic governance.
Written By Rodney Mbua
