On June 29, 2026, Human Rights Watch published a damning investigation into the violence engulfing Mali. Since the military takeover on April 25, regular forces, their Russian partners from Africa Corps, and Islamist insurgents have escalated attacks. The NGO highlights a deliberate economic strangulation strategy that pushes civilians into extreme hardship.
Violence escalates after the fall of Kidal
Spring 2026 marked a turning point in Mali’s crisis. On April 25, a joint operation by the Group of Support for Islam and Muslims (Jnim) and separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) captured Kidal and killed Defense Minister Sadio Camara.
This defeat triggered a massive response from the central government. The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), backed by Russian instructors from Africa Corps, launched a high-intensity counteroffensive. While authorities keep human losses secret, Human Rights Watch compiled data showing at least 13 civilians dead and 25 wounded during the initial clashes in Gao and Kidal.
The fuel war: targeting the economy
On the ground, Jnim shifted toward economic terrorism. To pressure Bamako, Al-Qaeda-linked networks impose strict road blockades to cut off logistical lifelines.
Commercial transport is the main target. Between May 6 and 21, over 40 civilian vehicles heading to the capital were intercepted and burned. More structurally damaging is the systematic targeting of fuel tankers, which since September 2025 has killed drivers and paralyzed distribution networks.
This logistical strangulation leaves large parts of the country without electricity and fuel, forcing school closures and halting local market activity.
The insurgents also use targeted terror, such as the public execution of a resident in Tonka, near Timbuktu, to deter resistance.
Mechanisms of the humanitarian crisis:
- Jnim tactics: Road blockades lead to energy shortages and inflation.
- FAMa/Russia response: Indiscriminate drone raids cause displacement and civilian casualties.
Civilians targeted by the Bamako-Moscow alliance
Meanwhile, the FAMa and Africa Corps response results in heavy civilian losses. The NGO denounces systematic abuses during security operations in central Mali, where Fulani communities are violently conflated with insurgent movements.
Between May 14 and 17 alone, Human Rights Watch documented 38 civilians killed during ground incursions, including 23 minors.
Added to this are the tragic costs of advanced drone strikes:
- Guimbé (April 25): An airstrike kills 12 children and teenagers.
- Téné (May 17): A strike hits a wedding ceremony, leaving 10 civilians dead.
Justifications and lack of dialogue
When asked about the legitimacy of its targets and the strangulation of transport infrastructure, the Jnim command responded to Human Rights Watch investigators. The armed group claims that targeted civilians refused to submit to decrees and regulations imposed by the movement in its zones of influence.
On the Malian state side, the Ministry of Justice remained silent, ignoring requests for clarification and right-of-reply protocols sent by the human rights organization.
Call for an international investigation
Faced with these flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits indiscriminate attacks on non-combatants, impunity remains the main obstacle to peace.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, Sahel specialist at Human Rights Watch, states that this historic lack of accountability fuels Mali’s tragedy. Without the oversight mechanisms of the former UN mission, the country sinks into arbitrariness. The organization urges the African Union and the United Nations to urgently sponsor a fact-finding mission to collect material evidence needed for future criminal proceedings.
