Mali

The crisis that Mali has been experiencing since 2012 has become more complex with an unstable socio-political and economic context, combined with the gradual withdrawal of MINUSMA (UNSC Res. 2690, 30 June 2023). The recapture by the army of areas occupied by armed groups, and the tensions linked to the takeover of former MINUSMA bases and installations, are having a considerable impact on the protection of civilians in localities facing major security challenges.

The protection environment for civilians in the Centre (Mopti and Ségou) and North (Gao, Kidal, Ménaka and Tombouctou) regions has been severely affected by the security situation. The activities of armed groups are manifested in the intensification of attacks on villages and civilian populations, accompanied by homicides, kidnappings, ultimatums to evacuate, and so on.

Civilians are constantly faced with human rights violations, mainly in the centre and north of the country, but since 2022 the conflict has been spreading to the south of Mali, leading to forced and preventive displacement of the population. Armed violence and attacks on civilians by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) expose civilians to numerous protection risks.