Mali Military Investigates Shocking Atrocity Video
Mali's armed forces have launched an investigation into a disturbing video showing a man in a Malian military uniform engaging in a gruesome act resembling cannibalism. The incident, condemned as a 'rare atrocity,' has been removed from social media. Rights groups have long accused Malian soldiers of serious abuses.
![Mali Military Investigates Shocking Atrocity Video](https://devdiscourse.blob.core.windows.net/aiimagegallery/17_07_2024_19_35_47_7334167.png)
- Country:
- Mali
Mali's armed forces have ordered an investigation into a video showing a man in Malian military uniform cutting into a corpse in front of his peers, the army chief said in a statement on Wednesday, describing it as a "rare atrocity" akin to cannibalism. It added that the act did not align with the Sahelian West African nation's military values.
Rights groups and the United Nations have repeatedly accused Malian soldiers of serious abuses, including executions and torture, committed against civilians suspected of collaborating with jihadist groups that have been waging an insurgency in the Sahel since 2012. The army has always denied wrongdoing. The shocking video was trending on X on Tuesday and has since been removed for violating the platform's rules. It showed a man in military uniform sporting a Mali Armed Forces (FAMA) badge, carving up the stomach of a dead body with a machete.
Speaking in local Malian Bambara language, the man says he is going to eat the victim's liver, according to comments and media reports on the footage. A surrounding group of men in fatigues laugh as he cuts through the corpse. Reuters did not verify the video that triggered outrage and disgust among social media users before it was taken down.
"Competent services have been mobilised to confirm the authenticity of the video and identify the individual," said the army statement dated July 16 but posted on X on Wednesday. Mali's army has been struggling to contain jihadist groups, some with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State, that took root in its arid north over a decade ago and have since spread into neighbouring and coastal countries.
Hundreds of thousands have been killed and millions displaced as militants have seized territory and foreign-backed armies retaliated. Authorities' failure to restore security contributed to two military coups in Mali, two in neighbouring Burkina Faso and one in Niger since 2020.
Juntas in all three countries have cut ties with traditional Western allies and have turned to Russia for military support.
(With inputs from agencies.)
- READ MORE ON:
- Mali
- military
- atrocity
- cannibalism
- investigation
- human rights
- jihadist
- social media
- video
- abuse
ALSO READ
Polio Scare in Meghalaya: Two-Year-Old Suspected of Infection Spurs Investigation
Protests Erupt in North Waziristan Against Targeted Killings and Human Rights Abuses
European Arrest Warrant Issued Amidst Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage Investigation
Narendra Modi and Foxconn Chairman Discuss India's Investment Potential Amid Hiring Practices Investigation
US Highway Safety Officials Close Investigation into Tesla Suspension Failures