Bamako – Mali’s army said on Wednesday that it had arrested soldiers accused of torturing civilians after videos showing men in military fatigues committing violence sparked outrage on social media.
One video showed a person apparently being killed, but the army denied any involvement.
Among the footage circulating online were images of decomposing corpses, torture and one video showing a person having their throat cut.
Mali’s army said on Wednesday it had identified the soldiers accused of torture and had handed them over to the military police.
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The army has long been accused of committing abuses against civilians.
The UN’s peacekeeping mission in Mali, Minusma, said in August at least 527 civilians had been killed, injured or disappeared between April and June.
Jihadist groups were responsible for most of the violent incidents, Minusma said, but security forces were blamed for 9 percent of the abuses.
One of the world’s poorest countries, Mali has struggled to contain a jihadist insurgency that first emerged in the north in 2012, but has since spread to the centre, killing thousands of soldiers and civilians.
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Picture: Getty Images
Source: AFP
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