An investigation is underway into allegations of abuse by the Malian army in Moura, according to military justice. This is to shed light on the anti-terrorist operation conducted between March 23 and 31 in this village near Djenné, in the center of the country. The army claims to have killed more than 200 jihadists there, many human rights organizations evoke a much higher toll and the massacre in order of civilians, by the Fama and their Russian auxiliaries. But the opening of this investigation by the Malian military justice does not really meet their demands.
” Investigations have already been opened by the National Gendarmerie, and a judicial transport will be carried out very soon to Moura. The prosecutor of the military court of the Mopti region specifies that he will go to the village accompanied by a forensic doctor, a team of forensic scientists and investigators, and that their conclusions will be made public. An approach exceptional enough to be pointed out.
The last days, many human rights organizations but also the European Union, the United States and the United Nations have called for the opening of an investigation into the numerous testimonies reporting the massacre of several hundred civilians and disarmed jihadists by Malian soldiers and their Russian auxiliaries . Many survivors testified to community or humanitarian organizations, Malian and international, but also in the international press, of summary executions in large numbers as well as looting and rape.
But this is an independent investigation, led by or integrated with the United Nations Mission in the country, which was requested. A Minusma investigation team was also to go to Moura earlier this week. The Malian authorities never gave the green light. A new request has been made. Many UN, humanitarian or Malian community sources express their pessimism, and recall that in recent weeks, access to certain areas where other allegations of abuse had been reported have not been granted to UN teams.
Tuesday, even before the announcement of the opening of an investigation by the military court of Mopti, the staff of the armies of Mali already judged ” unfounded the accusations leveled at Moura, believing once again that they were aimed solely at ” tarnish the image of the Fama “, whose staff was keen to ” enhance professionalism “.
In a press release, the independent expert of the United Nations on human rights in Mali, the Senegalese Alioune Tine, again asked the Malian authorities on Wednesday ” to conduct an in-depth, independent, impartial investigation as soon as possible ” and that’s why, ” to grant unimpeded access to the Human Rights Division of the Minusma.