One evening in late March, 75-year-old Moctar gathered his family and friends in the village of Sondaje, northern Mali, to plan their escape. For months, armed groups had raided homes, accusing villagers of collaborating with enemies. Two of Moctar's cousins were killed in one attack. Then a group issued an ultimatum: leave within 72 hours.
“We saw terrible things,” Moctar told Al Jazeera in a hoarse voice. “People were decapitated and their heads put on their chests.” His family is among thousands who have fled to Mauritania, traumatized by violence.
Mali is at the heart of spiraling violence in the West African Sahel, which accounts for about half of global deaths linked to armed groups, according to ACLED. The Malian army and Russian fighters are locked in conflict with al-Qaeda and ISIL-affiliated groups.
In the past two years, the Malian army and Russian fighters have inflicted more violence on civilians than the armed groups combined, said Heni Nsaibia, senior West Africa analyst at ACLED. “There are no good sides in this conflict, and collective punishment has been a key feature.”
On April 20, three rights groups filed a case against Mali before the African Union's human rights court, accusing the military and its Russian allies of “serious human rights violations.” It is the first known case in Africa aiming to hold a state responsible for hiring military contractors.
Refugees in Mauritania accused Russian fighters, sometimes alongside Malian soldiers, of executions, rapes, and torture. Al Jazeera could not independently verify these claims. Neither the Malian nor Russian governments responded to requests for comment.
From October to April, at least 13,000 people fled Mali to Mauritania, according to UNHCR. Over 100,000 have crossed since late 2023. Most new arrivals are women and children. Aid cuts by Western donors have hampered the response.
In Mbera camp, 84-year-old Mohamed “Momo” Ag Malha, who heads the community, called the situation “frustrating.” “We, the Malian people, are the victims of everyone. All we want is peace and to be able to return to our homes,” he said.
Source: www.aljazeera.com