On January 3, 2021, Operation Barkhane targeted the village of Bounti, in central Mali. The French army was accused for weeks of mistakenly saying it was targeting jihadists who organized a rally. But the version of the human rights division of Minusma, the UN mission in Mali, is completely different.
as reported from Bamako, Serge Daniel
According to The UN reportOn that day, January 3, 2021, there was a wedding ceremony in the Malian village of Bounti, located in the center of the country. This celebration gathered a hundred people, mostly civilians. It was therefore not a gathering of jihadists for the authors of the UN report.
When asked why no women were present, the report says that “given local traditions, men and women are separated during these events”.
The UN investigation team, which interviewed 115 to 200 people, is also formal on another point: at least 16 civilians were killed during of the strike by the French force Barkhane. Three civilians also died from their injuries after the strike.
The report then adds that at the site, on January 3, there were also five armed individuals. One of them very visibly carried his weapon. Some of its individuals are believed to belong to a jihadist group. Among them, however, three in the air attack.
In this document, the investigators make recommendations to the French and Malian authorities. They consider it necessary to launch an “independent, credible and transparent inquiry into the circumstances of the strike and its impact on the civilian population of Bounti”.
In a press release, published shortly after the publication of this report, the French Ministry of Defense rejects these conclusions.
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