Kidal – 17 August 2025
A new human rights report reveals ongoing violations against civilians in Azawad during the week of 10 to 17 August 2025. The Rally for the Defense of the Rights of the Azawad People (CD-DPA) described the humanitarian situation as “deteriorating and alarming,” urging the international community to intervene urgently to halt what it termed systematic crimes.
Weekly Toll of Violence
According to the report:
- 11 extrajudicial executions and massacres against civilians
- 8 cases of torture or physical violence
- 1 case of arbitrary arrest followed by enforced disappearance
- 1 instance of property looting and destruction
No cases of rape or environmental damage were reported during that period. However, CD-DPA emphasized that the severity of other violations alone justifies characterizing the situation as a collapse of human rights protections .
Documented Field Incidents (10–17 August)
These figures align with specific documented incidents:
- 11 August: In the town of Aguelhok (Kidal Region), Malian forces alongside Russian paramilitary “Wagner” elements arrested six people—including three women—and confiscated their truck; the detainees have since vanished.
- 15 August: Between Tarkint and Bourem, a joint Malian army–Wagner force intercepted a civilian Helix vehicle. The passengers fled, abandoning the vehicle, which was subsequently looted and vandalized .
- 16 August: The same military convoy stopped two civilians between Tarkint and Tarkint, restrained them, and confiscated their cell phones and a Starlink satellite internet device .
- 17 August: Between Anéfis and Tabankort, the convoy stopped a Toyota vehicle; the occupants remain missing. Bloodstains at the scene raised serious concerns that they may have been tortured or killed .
Accusations of Escalation
Observers and activists accuse the Malian military and its allies of a calculated escalation aimed at imposing control through terror. They warn that international silence has encouraged impunity .
Caught between the Malian army and the Russian-backed Wagner forces, civilians in Azawad and central Mali face mounting atrocities. With no political solutions in sight and violations continuing unchecked, the humanitarian crisis risks further deterioration
