Mali's military said on Thursday it is investigating longstanding claims that its forces have committed abuses as part of the jihadist conflict gripping the Sahel state.

During a news conference in the capital Bamako, Colonel-Major Issa Ousmane Coulibaly said investigations are underway because abuse allegations undermine the army's credibility.

"It is not all true, it is not all false," Ousmane, who heads the military-justice system, said of the accusations.

Mali is struggling to contain a brutal jihadist insurgency that first emerged in 2012, and has since spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Rights investigators have long accused Mali's poorly trained and under-equipped army of committing abuses, including summary executions, beatings and forced disappearances.

In April, Human Rights Watch implicated the security forces in the killing of at least 34 people and the disappearance of 16 others during operations in central Mali between October 2020 and March.

A report last year from the United Nations's peacekeeping mission in Mali also accused Malian forces of carrying out 101 executions between January and March 2020.

A UN inquiry last year also found evidence that both the Malian security forces and jihadists have committed war crimes.

Coulibaly denounced pressure over cases that have yet to be adjudicated.

"Justice never forgets," he said, arguing that the system takes time to deliver.

Mali's military-justice system was only established in 2007. Once infrequent, the number of cases before army judges has picked up. Courts-martial have handled some 30 cases over the past year, for example.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

International mediation underway to end Sudan crisis: UN envoy
United Nations, United States (AFP) Nov 2, 2021
Mediation efforts in Sudan and abroad are underway to find a possible solution for the country a week after the civilian government was ousted in a military coup, the UN envoy to Khartoum said Monday. "Many of the interlocutors we are speaking with in Khartoum, but also internationally and regionally, are expressing a strong desire that we move forward quickly to get out of the crisis and return to the steps of normalcy," Volker Perthes told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York, ... read more