BAMAKO: The military junta in Mali has strongly denounced a UN report as “fictitious” and “biased” after it revealed that the country’s army, along with foreign fighters, executed over 500 people during a 2022 anti-jihadist operation.
The authorities also announced an investigation into “espionage” in response to the revelation that the UN had utilized satellite imagery to gather information for the report.
The junta’s statement comes a day after the UN released its highly anticipated report, which detailed the events that occurred in the central town of Moura between March 27 and 31, 2022.
However, the government spokesman, Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, stated on state television that “no civilian from Moura lost their life during the military operation” and claimed that only terrorist fighters were among the dead.
Mali govt expresses surprise over UN investigation
Accusing the UN report of being based on a “fictitious narrative” and displaying bias, the government expressed surprise that the investigators had employed satellites over Moura to collect information without obtaining clearance from the government.
As a result, Mali’s authorities have initiated an investigation into alleged espionage, external security breaches, and “military conspiracy.”
The figures presented in the report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) represent the gravest atrocity witnessed in Mali since the onset of the jihadist insurgency in 2012. Additionally, the report constitutes the most damning evidence to date against Mali’s armed forces and their foreign allies.
While the report does not explicitly identify the nationality of the foreign fighters involved, Mali has previously employed Russians whom Western countries and others believe to be Wagner mercenaries.
