Russia blocks request in the UN Security Council to investigate alleged massacre in Mali

Russia blocked a request to the UN Security Council to conduct “independent investigations” into an alleged massacre of several hundred civilians in late March in Moura, Maliby the Malian army and Russian paramilitaries, diplomatic sources told AFP on Saturday.

This demand was contained in a statement drafted by France that was submitted to the Security Council for approval on Friday. Russia, backed by China, objected, according to several diplomats.

Moscow and Beijing “did not see the need” for this text, considered “premature”, a day after the Malian authorities opened an investigation, one of the diplomats told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In a statement issued Friday in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry congratulated Mali on its “important victory” against “terrorism” and called allegations of massacres of civilians by Malian forces “disinformation,” as well as such as those relating to the participation of Russian mercenaries from the private company Wagner in the operation.

The proposed statement to the Security Council underlined the “deep concern” of its members “over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Mali, in particular those allegedly perpetrated against civilians in Moura, in the Mopti region, from 27 to 31 March 2022″.

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The draft text obtained by AFP called on “all parties in Mali to put an immediate end to these violations and abuses and to comply with their obligations under applicable international law.”

It also called for “deep and independent investigations to clarify the facts, find those responsible for these violations and abuses and bring them to justice.”

On Friday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian questioned the Malian authorities’ version of Moura’s events and called for a “United Nations investigation.”

In a report, the NGO Human Rights Watch reported the summary execution of 300 civilians by Malian soldiers associated with foreign fighters between March 27 and 31 in Moura.

The Malian authorities claim to have “neutralized” 203 jihadists in this town in central Mali where the UN has been asking in vain for more than a week to be given access to investigate on the ground, under its mandate defined by the Council of Security.

Source: Elcomercio

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