Western countries raised concerns over the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group’s activities in Mali at a United Nations human rights meeting on Tuesday. Among the activities of concern is an alleged role in the killings of civilians.
The United States, Canada, Ukraine and Great Britain were some of the countries that questioned the support Wagner contractors are giving Mali’s armed forces. The concerns were brought up by Canadian envoy Patricia Lyn McCullagh during ga review of Mali’s rights record. Several countries have asked Mali to conduct an investigation into an incident in March 2022 where local troops and suspected Russian fighters allegedly killed hundreds of civilians in Moura in central Mali. Russia and Mali both state that the Russian forces are trainers helping local troops with equipment from Russia. Russia has denied civilians were killed in Moura.
Read More: Western countries pile pressure on Mali over Wagner presence
