Mali’s military and armed groups committing abuses against civilians: HRW

Mali’s military and its Russian paramilitary allies have killed civilians in breach of international law, and opposition armed groups have done likewise, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says. Soldiers and fighters “are committing grave laws-of-war violations while international organisations and governments largely stand by”, the United States-based rights watchdog said in a report released on Monday. It urged the African Union’s Peace and Security Council to “urgently take action to prevent further atrocities” in Mali. The West African country has been mired in fighting and attacks since 2012 as the military and its allies have battled an array of armed groups, including Tuareg separatists, and criminal gangs.