As central Mali continues its descent into a maelstrom of unbridled violence, the recent statement by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) following the attacks on Ningari and Sarédina highlights the deep-seated flaws in the transitional government’s security approach.
The grim pattern has become all too familiar: villages assaulted, defenseless civilians executed, homes torched, followed by the predictable flood of official communiqués expressing outrage and sympathy. The latest atrocities in the Bandiagara area, specifically in Ningari and Sarédina, underscore a harsh truth that official rhetoric tries to hide: despite triumphant claims about the growing strength of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), the daily protection of citizens remains a glaring failure.
The mirage of territorial control and civilian abandonment
The CNDH’s statement, signed by its interim president, Me Aissata Founè Tembely, serves as a stark wake-up call to the authorities in Bamako. By emphatically reminding that the safety of people and their property is the state’s “primary sovereign duty,” the CNDH is essentially exposing the administrative and military shortcomings on the ground.
In the Dogon Country, the security vacuum created by the absence or ineffectiveness of state mechanisms leaves residents at the mercy of terrorist armed groups. While public discourse fixates on national sovereignty and media management, the fundamental social contract between the state and its citizens in the central region has been shattered. Sovereignty cannot be measured by the firmness of speeches in Bamako, but by the real capacity to safeguard the life of a farmer or trader in Ningari.
Institutionalized impunity and the rhetoric of stalled investigations
As with every tragedy, the CNDH calls for “independent and impartial” investigations to bring the perpetrators to justice. But how credible are such appeals when the judicial system is effectively paralyzed in conflict zones?
The relentless series of massacres, without any significant trial to assign responsibility, breeds a devastating sense of impunity. In the absence of concrete prosecutions, these calls for inquiries begin to feel like a bureaucratic ritual meant to fill an institutional void. This absent justice erodes public trust in the state and inevitably pushes communities toward self-defense groups or opportunistic alliances, further fragmenting the social fabric.
The all-military trap and humanitarian law violations
By urging the FAMa to strictly adhere to International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the CNDH also warns of the risks of a purely military strategy without safeguards. In their pursuit of terrorist groups, security forces and their auxiliaries are frequently accused by civil society of indiscriminate attacks and abuses against local populations.
This approach, which prioritizes body counts and flashy communication over lasting community security, backfires. Each mistake or summary execution becomes a powerful recruitment tool for extremist groups. By reminding that the fight against terrorism cannot disregard human rights, the CNDH cautions: a military victory achieved at the expense of justice is a mere illusion that plants the seeds for future uprisings.
The CNDH’s warning is unequivocal. If the transitional authorities continue to favor political posturing and security theatrics over genuine, impartial, and judicial protection of their citizens, Mali risks losing far more than territory—it will lose the very legitimacy of its state.
