Malian army and Wagner Group abduct and execute Fulani civilians, NGO claims

This undated photograph handed out by French military shows Russian mercenaries boarding a helicopter in northern Mali. © Armée française via AP

Mali’s armed forces and the allied Russia-backed Wagner Group have committed dozens of summary executions and enforced disappearances of ethnic Fulani men since January 2025, according to a report by the NGO Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on Tuesday accusing the Malian army and its Russian allies from the Wagner Group, now known as Africa Corps, of executing and forcibly disappearing dozens of Fulani civilians since January.