Sahel Edition

Mali Army, Russian Allies Accused of Executing Civilians Near Mauritania BorderF

Posted On 10 March 2026

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Malian troops and their Russian allies are accused of executing refugees and civilians near the Mauritanian border, according to RFI. The French media outlet said seven people who had just crossed from Mauritania into Mali were killed on Friday, March 6, in the Ahl El Kory area of Nampala circle, close to the Mauritanian border. Two vehicles left Fassala in Mauritania that afternoon, heading to a weekly market near Tenenkou in Mali, when they were stopped by a patrol of the Malian army and Russian personnel from the Africa Corps. Ahl El Kory lies less than ten kilometers from the frontier, at the junction of the Malian regions of Ségou, Mopti, and Timbuktu, in an area where al‑Qaeda‑linked JNIM is known to operate.

Survivor accounts and alleged executions

According to RFI, citing a survivor, local notables, and the local human rights organization CD‑DPA, several passengers panicked and tried to flee when the patrol halted the vehicles. Those who ran were allegedly killed: six reportedly shot at point‑blank range, and a seventh had his throat cut. Their bodies were left at the scene and later filmed at night by residents who went to the site; the images transmitted to RFI are said to support the execution claims. Sources contacted by RFI say all seven victims were unarmed Fulani (Peul) civilians and Malian nationals who had been living as refugees in Mauritania, while the remaining passengers were beaten, interrogated on suspicion of being jihadists, then released.

Silence from Bamako and prior incidents

The Malian army has not issued any statement on the operation and did not respond to requests for comment. Several sources quoted by RFI say the victims include two men originally from Nampala and five from Timbuktu.

This latest incident is part a pattern observed in the region: on February 3, eight Mauritanian civilians were reportedly killed at Torodo in the Kayes region by Malian forces and Africa Corps personnel, reviving memories of a 2022 crisis after Mauritanian civilians were killed in Mali. That earlier episode strained relations between Bamako and Nouakchott before tensions eased, as Mauritania sought to protect its citizens while preserving ties with Mali.

Jihadist activity and a claimed ambush

The area around Ahl El Kory is also a zone of jihadist activity by the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an al‑Qaeda‑aligned coalition. According to RFI, JNIM claimed an ambush on Monday, March 9, against a convoy of Malian troops and their Russian Africa Corps partners southwest of Nampala, in Ségou region, though the group did not provide a casualty figure. Civilians along the Mali‑Mauritania border are trapped between jihadist groups and heavy‑handed counterinsurgency operations by Malian forces and their foreign allies, according to rights organizations and witness testimonies.

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