BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — An extremist group linked to al-Qaida carried out mass killings in two villages in central Mali in January, Human Rights Watch said in a report Wednesday, in an apparent war crime that caused thousands to flee their homes. The group known as JNIM killed at least 32 people, including three children, during attacks on Jan. 27 on the villages of Ogota and Ouémbé, and set fire to over 350 homes, the report said, quoting villagers who described the carnage as ethnically motivated. The report also documented a separate incident in which an ethnic armed group killed 13 people and abducted 24 civilians in two other villages in central Mali on Jan. 6. “Islamist armed groups and ethnic militias are brutally attacking civilians without fear of prosecution,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities need to act to end the deadly cycles of violence and revenge killings and better protect threatened civilians.” |
Queen Camilla appears in high spirits as she hosts the first female crew to win an aroundAnalysis: IndyCar cheating scandal risks sullying Roger Penske's perfect imageConservative states challenge federal rule on treatment of transgender studentsRoyals C Salvador Perez scratched from game against Blue Jays because of tight backIconic arch used as Iditarod finish line collapses in AlaskaPosts misrepresent Green Party candidate’s comment on a Jewish homelandTesla's stock leaps on reports of Chinese approval of driving softwarePatriots' Christian Barmore agrees to 4Shocking moment drinkPhilips will pay $1.1 billion to resolve US lawsuits over breathing machines that expel debris