Tuareg people in Mali have accused the Wagner Group of killing innocent civilians.

According to Mohamed Elmaulud Ramadan, a representative of the Tuareg people, a vehicle traveling from the town of Niono to a refugee camp in Mauritania was fired upon on Thursday. Ramadan accused the Malian armed forces and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group of being responsible for the incident.

Meanwhile, Kel Ansar, leader of one of the largest Tuareg factions, called for an independent investigation into the incident in a separate statement, adding that the Malian armed forces were not involved in the bloodshed.

Previously, Human Rights Watch reported serious violations of the laws of war in Mali, including attacks on civilians. According to the organization, these violations were committed by both the Malian armed forces with the support of the Wagner Group and Islamist factions.

• In Mali, Wagner Group mercenaries operate as part of the government forces. The Malian authorities refer to them as military instructors.

• In 2022, a military coup brought a junta led by Colonel Assimi Goita to power in Mali. The junta maintains friendly relations with Russia. Its authority is supported in part by the involvement of armed groups linked to the Russian Wagner Group.
• Wagner Group mercenaries, who did not sign a contract with the Russian army after the June 2023 mutiny and the subsequent death of their founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, mostly moved to Africa, where the group had been involved in combat operations even before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Official Russian media hardly cover Wagner's activities in Africa.