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Mali Human Rights
General Country Conditions
The Republic of Mali is home to more than 15 million people. Malians face numerous challenges relating to poverty and insecurity. Mali ranks 176 out of 187 countries in the UN Human Development Index. The average life expectancy is less than 57 years, and the mortality rate for children under five is 123 per 1,000 live births.
Mali experienced a coup and armed conflict in 2012. Civilian control of the government was restored and elections were held in 2013. In 2013, a peace agreement was also signed between the Malian government and several armed groups in Burkina Faso. However, the north of the country remains unstable, with parts of it beyond the control of the Malian authorities. Furthermore, violent clashes and attacks on civilians continue.
Human Rights Concerns
Abuses by armed groups, impunity, and the death penalty are some of the numerous human rights concerns in Mali. Security forces and non-state armed groups have engaged in the excessive use of force. Journalists, UN peacekeepers, International Committee of the Red Cross workers, and civilians have been killed in attacks. During a protest in 2015, UN police officers used excessive force against protesters, killing three people.
There have also been allegations of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners alleged to have connections to the armed conflict. At least two such detainees died in custody in Bamako during 2014 due to lack of medical care. Prison conditions throughout Mali are poor and threaten the health of inmates and detainees.
The government has begun to tackle the issue of impunity and made some progress, notably in the case of the enforced disappearance of more than 20 soldiers in April 2012. A total of 28 people were arrested and charged in 2014, including General Amadou Sanogo, leader of the military junta that ruled Mali for part of 2012, and General Ibrahim Dahirou Dembélé, former Chief of Staff. Few prosecutions were brought in connection with other cases of enforced disappearances and there were long delays in bringing to justice those responsible for committing human rights violations in the context of the conflict. Some cases, notably the disappearance of 11 men in Timbuktu in February 2013, were yet to be investigated.
No executions had been carried out in Mali for several decades, but death sentences continue to be imposed.
Relevant Links
Mali Newsroom
January 13, 2020 • Press Release
Delays in ‘Red Berets’ Trial Prolongs Suffering of Victims’ Families in Mali
A Malian court’s last-minute postponement of a former junta leader’s trial is a blow to the families of 21 soldiers whose bodies were discovered in a mass grave in 2012 after they were forcibly disappeared, Amnesty International said today.
June 10, 2019 • Press Release
Despicable killings of civilians in Mali must be investigated
Following the reported unlawful killings of nearly 100 people in an attack on a village in central Mali, Marie-Evelyne Petrus Barry, Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa director said: “This despicable killing of civilians in Mali is the latest episode of a spiral of violence which hit the country. It shows a total and utter …
September 27, 2016 • Press Release
Landmark ICC verdict against Al-Mahdi must be first step to broader justice in Mali conflict
Today’s International Criminal Court (ICC) conviction of Ahmad Al Faqi Al-Mahdi, a senior member of the Ansar Eddine armed group, must be the first step towards broader accountability for all crimes committed during Mali’s 2012 conflict, Amnesty International said. The ICC sentenced Al-Mahdi to 9 years imprisonment for intentionally directing attacks against religious buildings and …
February 22, 2016 • Press Release
Amnesty International’s Annual State of the World Report Slams Governments, Including the U.S., for Global Assault on Freedoms
On the launch of its 2015 State of the World report, Amnesty International USA urged President Obama to use his last year in office to bring U.S. laws and policies in line with international human rights standards.
February 18, 2016 • Report
Amnesty International State of the World 2015-2016
International protection of human rights is in danger of unravelling as short-term national self-interest and draconian security crackdowns have led to a wholesale assault on basic freedoms and rights, warned Amnesty International as it launched its annual assessment of human rights around the world. “Your rights are in jeopardy: they are being treated with utter contempt by many governments around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
February 18, 2016 • Press Release
Your rights in jeopardy, global assault on freedoms, warns Amnesty International
International protection of human rights is in danger of unravelling as short-term national self-interest and draconian security crackdowns have led to a wholesale assault on basic freedoms and rights, warned Amnesty International as it launched its annual assessment of human rights around the world. “Your rights are in jeopardy: they are being treated with utter contempt by many governments around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
November 20, 2015 • Press Release
Mali: Armed group’s horrific siege of international hotel shows utter disregard for human life
The despicable attack on civilians at the Radisson hotel in Mali’s capital Bamako by members of the armed group Al Mourabitoun demonstrates again the total disregard for civilians that is characterising the growing violence and unrest in the country, Amnesty International said today.
February 25, 2015 • Report
State of the World 2014/2015
This has been a devastating year for those seeking to stand up for human rights and for those caught up in the suffering of war zones. Governments pay lip service to the importance of protecting civilians. And yet the world's politicians have miserably failed to protect those in greatest need. Amnesty International believes that this can and must finally change.
June 14, 2013 • Press Release
Children in Mali Forced to be Soldiers, Now Being Held with Adults and Tortured
Children in Mali as young as 13 who were recruited as child soldiers by armed groups are now being detained by Malian forces alongside adults and have been tortured.
June 5, 2013 • Press Release
New Report Reveals Civilians Tortured, Disappeared, and Killed by Security Forces in Mali in Months After French Intervention
Dozens of civilians have been tortured, killed, and disappeared, including while in detention, by Mali’s security forces in the five months since the French army intervened in the country, Amnesty International said today in a new briefing.