French air strike killed 19 civilians at Mali wedding, says UN report
- France, which earlier claimed only jihadists had been hit in the attack, has issued a strong denial of the probe’s findings
- The French air force struck near the remote village of Bounti on January 3, in circumstances that sparked controversy in the war-torn Sahel state
A French air strike killed 19 civilians in Mali in January, a UN report said on Tuesday, prompting a strong denial from France.
The French air force struck near the remote village of Bounti on January 3, in circumstances that sparked controversy in the war-torn Sahel state.
Residents of the village said the strike hit a wedding party and killed civilians.
The group affected by the strike was overwhelmingly composed of civilians who are protected persons under international humanitarian law
In the incident’s aftermath, France’s military said it had killed jihadists, not civilians, and also denied the presence of a wedding party in Bounti.
The United Nations mission in Mali, known as Minusma, subsequently launched an investigation.
In a report summarising the probe’s findings, the UN said on Tuesday a wedding had in fact taken place and had “gathered about 100 civilians at the site of the strike”.
It added that about five armed people, who are thought to be members of the jihadist group Katiba Serma, attended the celebrations.