The United Nations said Malian soldiers that form part of a regional protection force –the Sahel G5 Force – executed 12 civilians at a market in May, in the capital Bamako.
An investigation by the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) found that the Malian soldiers serving with the G5 Sahel Force were retaliating for the death of one of their own.
The killing took place 19th May at a weekly cattle market in northern Mali.
The conclusions are striking because the Sahel G5 force is a UN-sanctioned force deployed in Africa’s Sahel region, made up of battalions from five regional countries. Their purpose is to counter a jihadist insurgency there, and protect civilians.
Instead, MINUSMA’s investigation found that the Malian troops had executed the civilians at that Boulikessi market, to avenge the death of a fellow soldier shot and killed by an unidentified man at the market.
The mission said it conducted its own investigation in order to bring the alleged perpetrators to justice. It shared its findings with the Malian government.
It seems that Malian authorities and the G5 Sahel force had also set up a joint commission of inquiry, and opened a judicial inquiry as well to look into the killing, steps that MINUSMA welcomed.
The UN envoy to Mali Mahamat Saleh Annadif is asking for the judicial investigation to start at the soonest, and is urging both Malian authorities and the G5 force to conduct their military operations in line with international human rights and humanitarian law.
