UN rights office deplores alleged killing, torture of Malian soldiers by insurgents
The U.N. human rights office on Thursday called for an investigation into reports of the torture and killing of surrendering Malian soldiers during an ambush of a military convoy by insurgents and separatists, saying such actions would amount to a war crime. The office deplores "the reported torture and killing of dozens of surrendering Malian soldiers."
The ambush occurred on Saturday in northern Mali between the town of Anefis and the city of Gao. Statements from Mali's armed forces, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), and the al Qaeda-linked group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) confirmed the ambush. A source close to the FLA told Reuters that more than 50 pro-government fighters were killed, though Reuters could not independently confirm this death toll. JNIM shared footage online appearing to show soldiers surrendering and rebels firing at captives, which Reuters has not independently verified. Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated there needs to be a thorough and independent investigation. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the FLA, said the group supported independent investigations of all human rights abuses and that the footage "must first be authenticated."
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The U.N. human rights office is calling for an investigation into alleged torture and killings of Malian soldiers by insurgents. Such actions, if
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