Mali: Evidence of war crimes by armed groups in Gao region

Summary killings of at least 19 Malian soldiers by members of armed groups in Tabrichat, a village in the Gao region, in northern Mali, must be investigated as war crimes, Amnesty International said after analyzing video footage of the incident which took place after the soldiers were ambushed on 18 July. Amnesty International analyzed 12 videos published on social media that help reconstruct the incident. Three videos show a group of at least 19 Malian soldiers walking in the desert with their hands behind their heads, clearly surrendering. Another video shows a group of men on the ground and five armed men firing at them. A close-up video shows the bodies of the men who had been filmed moments earlier surrendering. The videos also show the armed men subjecting prisoners to acts of ill-treatment by manhandling and beating them. “In the footage Amnesty International has reviewed, it is clear that the soldiers were hors de combat before being subjected to ill-treatment and killed in execution style. Any person out of action, including soldiers taken prisoner or having surrendered, must be protected under international humanitarian law. The evidence of war crimes is irrefutable,” said Ousmane Diallo, Senior Researcher on Sahel at Amnesty International’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa. Horrendous footage circulated online Screenshot of a video shared on Telegram In two videos, a white flag, characteristic of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Groupe de Soutien à l’Islam et aux Musulmans – GSIM) appeared on the front of the attackers’ vehicles. A total of 17 videos were shared on X accounts and on a Telegram channel associated with the Russian private military company Wagner Group, which was active in Mali between 2022 and June 2025. In a statement dated 18 July, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) claimed responsibility for the ambush in Tabrichat of Malian soldiers and allied Russian fighters from Africa Corps and stated that it had inflicted ‘significant loss of life and considerable damage to property’. The GSIM also claimed to have ambushed a joint convoy of Malian military and Russian Africa Corps fighters in the area of Tabrichat, mentioning ‘human casualties and serious material damage in the ranks of the enemy’. READ MORE ABOUT THE RULES OF WAR Independent and impartial investigation needed Summary killings are a serious violation of Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, which provides absolute and unconditional protection for any hors de combat (person out of action). Any killing, cruel treatment and attacks on their dignity would amount to war crimes for which the perpetrators, including commanders, would bear individual criminal responsibility. Victims and survivors of crimes under international law have a right to truth, justice and reparations. Ousmane Diallo, Senior Researcher on Sahel at Amnesty International’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa On 23 July, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement deploring the torture and killing of the surrendering Malian soldiers, and calling for accountability. “International humanitarian law must be respected by all parties to the conflict. The FLA and GSIM must sanction and remove from their ranks all suspects in these abuses of international humanitarian law. We call the Malian authorities to carry out an independent and impartial investigation into these war crimes by the FLA and the GSIM, which claimed responsibility for the attack. Responsibility must be established, and the perpetrators punished in accordance with the standards of a fair trial. Victims and survivors of crimes under international law have a right to truth, justice and reparations,” said Ousmane Diallo. Background On Saturday 18 July 2026, an ambush was carried out on a military convoy travelling from Anéfis to Bourem near Tabrichat, a village in the Bourem district of the Gao region, in northern Mali. The convoy was travelling along the Anéfis–Bourem road when the attack took place. The ambush was carried out jointly by the Azawad Liberation Front (Front de Libération de l’Azawad – FLA) and the GSIM, also known as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin – JNIM, two non-state armed groups that have been allied since 2025 in Mali. In a statement issued on 18 July, the General Staff of the Malian armed forces said that air strikes had ‘enabled the convoy to break free from the ambushes and continue on its route’. Over the last decade, conflict between Mali and various non-state armed groups has led to mass casualties among civilians and parties to the conflict. The country has been governed by military-led authorities since the coup against President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in 2020. The situation in Mali has been under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since 2013. Its withdrawal from the Rome Statute will not affect ongoing investigations and proceedings before the ICC. The Court will also maintain competence over crimes under its jurisdiction committed before the withdrawal takes effect on 23 June 2027. READ MORE: Announcements of ICC withdrawal a serious backwards step in fight against impunity in the Sahel region and worldwide