On 23 March 2019 over 150 civilians were killed in the village of Ogossagou, representing one of the worst moments in Mali’s history. The attack was carried out by armed ethnic Dogon men, who stormed the village and murdered hundreds of ethnic Peuhl residents, whom they accused of supporting armed Islamist groups. The same village was attacked again less than a year later. In this second attack 35 civilians lost their lives.

Despite several suspects having been identified, none of them have been taken into custody or brought to trial. Human Rights Watch reports that  the commander of the Dogon group, Youssouf Toloba, was personally involved in the massacre, yet he has never been questioned. The overall tendency of Malian courts not to hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable was also recently visible when a court in the capital dismissed a case against an army officer, Amadour Haya Sanogo, and 16 co-defendants accused of killing 21 elite soldiers in 2012. The case was dismissed on the basis of the 2019 Law of National Understanding, which grants amnesty to perpetrators on a discretionary basis. 

Since 2012, Mali has witnessed atrocities committed by multiple parties, including government security forces, Islamists, and ethnic militias created to fight the Islamists. Hundreds of civilians have lost their lives, but almost none of these episodes have been properly investigated, leaving little hope for justice in the country. This impunity has fuelled a cycle of violence, as there is now a widespread perception that it is possible to commit crimes without any consequences. Justice must be provided in relation to these atrocities if peace and reconciliation is to be achieved in the country.

To know more please visit: 

https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/22/when-will-there-be-justice-mali-massacre

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/18/mali-army-un-fail-stop-massacre

Author: Alessia Rossinotti; Editor: Alexander Collin