Deadly Mali airstrikes: africa corps under russian control targets civilians

Russian-controlled Africa Corps conducted airstrikes in central Mali on June 15, 2026, leading to the deaths of eight civilians, including three children, in what appears to be a flagrantly unlawful assault. This incident highlights a grave disregard for the laws of war, and the Malian government risks complicity by granting unchecked authority to its Russian allies.

On that fateful morning, an aircraft, identified by two Malian military sources as a Sukhoi Su-24, unleashed at least two munitions on the village of Kyrnia in the Mopti region. The initial strike landed near the village chief’s residence, tragically claiming the lives of two of his children, his wife, and another child, while also injuring a woman. The second munition detonated approximately twenty meters away, at a modest livestock market, killing four men and wounding two others. Notably, our findings confirm that no fighters from Islamist armed groups were among the casualties.

Airstrikes kill civilians in Mali: alleged war crimes

Our comprehensive investigation, conducted between June 24 and July 14, involved extensive telephone interviews with 19 individuals. These included six direct witnesses, civil society representatives, community leaders, Malian military sources, and local journalists. We also meticulously analyzed satellite imagery of the strike sites, reviewed a video of the attacks posted online by Africa Corps, and examined photographs shared on social media by an Islamist armed group. A letter detailing our findings and questions was dispatched to the Russian Minister of Defense on July 23, but no response has been received.

On June 23, Africa Corps declared on its Facebook and X accounts that it had successfully executed an airstrike on a “terrorist gathering point” in the Mopti region on June 15, claiming to have eliminated several field commanders. The group also published a video purportedly showing the strikes and their aftermath. However, our precise geolocation of the two strikes visible in the video confirmed they occurred in Kyrnia, directly contradicting Africa Corps’ narrative regarding the targets.

For the past six years, Kyrnia has been under the control of the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM, or Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, JNIM). Witnesses indicated that at least 100 GSIM fighters, including a senior commander, were present in the village during the attacks. However, these fighters were primarily congregated at the village mosque and near a shop adjacent to a small livestock market. Neither the mosque nor the shop were hit; instead, a munition struck the livestock market. The village chief, a prosperous merchant, owns the shop where GSIM occasionally stores weapons, ammunition, fuel, and other supplies. A pickup truck, typical of vehicles used by GSIM, was parked outside the chief’s house.

Mali’s shifting alliances and the rise of africa corps

Since 2012, successive Malian governments have been engaged in a persistent struggle against Islamist armed groups. Following military coups in 2020 and 2021, the junta leader, General Assimi Goïta, expelled French and UN forces, subsequently strengthening ties with Russia. Since 2021, the junta has increasingly relied on the assistance of the Russian-linked Wagner Group for security operations. This mercenary group was rebranded as Africa Corps after the death of Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin in 2023, subsequently falling under direct control from Moscow.

In June, the Russian Foreign Ministry acknowledged that Russian military personnel were collaborating with Malian armed forces to secure full control of Malian territory in the wake of GSIM attacks across the country on April 25. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces were utilizing Su-24 aircraft to strike GSIM combatants. Media reports and satellite imagery confirm that Africa Corps has been deploying Su-24 planes in Mali since at least April 2025 to support the Malian army. No public records exist detailing the transfer of Su-24s to Malian authorities. These aircraft are capable of carrying a wide array of aerial munitions, including guided weapons, consistent with the damage observed in Kyrnia.

Witness accounts of the deadly Mali airstrikes

Witnesses recounted seeing a fighter jet soaring low over Kyrnia, emitting a deafening roar. “It was a fighter jet, very fast… it flew low… from west to east,” a 35-year-old merchant described. “I saw it drop a bomb… like a fireball… and I ran to take cover under a tree.” A 37-year-old cattle herder recalled being at the livestock market when he heard a powerful rumble, followed by an explosion. He witnessed thick black smoke rising from homes near the chief’s house, then heard a second explosion. “The market was in chaos,” he stated, “stalls swept away for several meters, shredded oxen and sheep.” He assisted other villagers, alongside GSIM fighters coordinating rescue efforts, in clearing debris from the collapsed chief’s house. “The chief’s second wife was dead, and she had lost… her arms,” he explained. “Then [we found] the [bodies of the] two children… and another boy who had been thrown onto the roof by the blast.”

Our analysis of the Africa Corps video and satellite imagery from June 25 reveals two craters in the southern part of Kyrnia, each approximately 12 meters wide, indicative of two large air-dropped munitions. Around nine market stalls, visible in satellite images from February 7, appear to have been obliterated by the second strike. The impact near the chief’s residence landed between structures, causing at least one building to collapse.

A 48-year-old camel herder recounted being “thrown [to the ground] by the blast of the first explosion” before realizing he was “covered in sand and debris.… [P]eople in front of me were injured, some had broken arms.” A 40-year-old man identified “the bodies of three merchants,” who were hit “while they were moving on a tricycle loaded with bags of dates” through the livestock market. The second strike wounded three men, one of whom succumbed to his injuries the following day. A witness explained that the man had been struck by bomb fragments and that “[h]is arms had been shredded.” We have reviewed a list containing the names of the eight victims, including three children aged 1 to 10, a 24-year-old woman, and four men aged 30 to 40.

Witnesses also reported that on June 14, the day before the attack, a drone, likely operated by Malian armed forces or Africa Corps, flew over Kyrnia, suggesting the village was under surveillance. “I saw a drone in the sky the day before, between 4 and 5 p.m.,” the camel herder described. “It made several passes over the village before leaving.”

Witnesses confirmed that approximately one hundred GSIM fighters were in the village during the strikes, with most gathered at the mosque, about 150 meters from the impact sites. A 40-year-old man noted that some GSIM fighters at the mosque were on motorcycles. “They had automatic weapons and wore military uniforms or boubous, their faces covered with turbans,” he explained. The merchant also stated that numerous GSIM fighters, including a senior commander, were inside or outside the village chief’s shop, located next to the livestock market struck by the second munition.

The airstrikes occurred on a market day, when Kyrnia was bustling with traders, buyers, and villagers. Residents indicated that since GSIM took control of the area, Kyrnia has become a vital commercial hub with a significant livestock market. Locals affirmed that GSIM purchased supplies, including fuel and food, from the Kyrnia market. They speculated that the airstrikes might have targeted the village chief’s residence because his pickup truck, similar to those used by GSIM, was parked outside. They also explained that three of the chief’s sons were GSIM fighters, but they were not in Kyrnia at the time of the attack.

Upholding international law: Mali’s responsibility

The laws of war, applicable to the armed conflict in Mali, strictly prohibit attacks that target civilians and civilian objects, fail to distinguish between civilians and combatants, or are likely to cause disproportionate harm to civilians or civilian objects relative to any anticipated military advantage. Belligerent parties conducting attacks are obligated to take all feasible precautions to minimize civilian casualties. Parties should refrain from deploying forces in densely populated areas. The strikes in Kyrnia did not appear to target specific military objectives and thus constitute unlawful indiscriminate attacks. The chief’s business dealings with GSIM do not render him a legitimate target for attack. We found no information suggesting that the chief’s house was used to store weapons or ammunition.

The Malian government bears the responsibility to investigate this incident thoroughly and hold accountable those responsible for violations of the laws of war, including members of Africa Corps. The Malian government cannot evade accountability by pointing to the laws of war violations committed by its Russian allies. The junta must impartially investigate all potential war crimes committed on its territory, including the Kyrnia airstrikes, or risk being considered complicit in these grave abuses.