UN rights chief shocked by Malian forces' alleged execution of 25 people, demands thorough probe

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – UN rights chief Volker Turk said Thursday that he is “appalled” by the alleged summary executions last month of 25 people by Mali's armed forces and foreign military personnel in a village in the insurgency-plagued central Nara region.

In a statement, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said he is also “alarmed” by the killing of about 30 other people in attacks over the weekend in central Mali by unidentified assailants.

“I am appalled by credible allegations that Malian armed forces accompanied by foreign military personnel summarily executed at least 25 people in Welingara village in the central Nara region on 26 January,” he said.

“I am also alarmed by reports that about 30 civilians were killed in attacks by yet unidentified gunmen on two other villages – Ogota and Oimbe – in the Bandiagara region over this past weekend.”

There was no immediate response from Mali.

However, Turk called for independent and thorough investigations into the allegations to prosecute the suspects.

“It is essential that all allegations of arbitrary deprivations of life, including summary executions, are fully and impartially investigated and those found responsible brought to justice in trials observing international standards,” he said.

Mali, which is ruled by a military junta that deposed a civilian government in a 2020 coup, has been fighting an insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and Daesh/ISIS since 2012 when unrest broke out in the country's north.