Mali’s army says it’s investigating soldiers who were accused by separatist Tuareg rebels of killing at least 24 civilians earlier this week

Mali's military government says it is investigating allegations that soldiers "coldly executed" at least 24 civilians in the north of the country on Monday. That claim was made by a separatist Tuareg rebel alliance,

The Front for the Liberation of Azawad, the Tuareg independence movement based in the country’s north, accused the Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner Group mercenaries of intercepting two civilian vehicles bound for Algeria from the eastern Malian city of Gao and “coldly executing” at least 24 people among the passengers on Monday.

Mali's military is probing accusations from Tuareg separatists that soldiers and Wagner Group mercenaries killed 24 civilians. The alleged incident occurred during a civilian transport intercept. Analysts doubt the investigation will implicate the military or mercenaries.

Around 20 people were killed in northern Mali when the vehicles they were travelling in came under attack earlier this week with local sources saying Wagner mercenaries and Mali's army were responsible .

Mali soldiers are being investigated over claims they were involved in intercepting civilian vehicles and "coldly executing"

An apparent Islamist armed group attacked a civilian convoy escorted by Malian armed forces and allied militias in northeastern Mali on February 7, 2025, killing at least 34 civilians and injuring 34 others.

The nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch in December denounced the "atrocities" committed against civilians by the Malian army and its Russian ally Wagner, as well as by Islamist armed groups.