BAMAKO, Mali — It was market day in the town of Moura in central Mali when Malian troops backed by white mercenaries descended in helicopters and opened fire on bewildered residents, according to witnesses’ accounts. But dozens of white men in army fatigues who spoke what the residents believed was Russian, were actively involved, they said. French is widely spoken in Mali, but the government soldiers and the white men communicated in sign language as they did not speak the same language. The white men were the first to get out of the helicopters and open fire on fleeing residents, four onlookers said. ADVERTISEMENTBut the witness accounts bolstered evidence gathered by New York-based Human Rights Watch, which last week alleged that Malian soldiers assisted by suspected Russians killed about 300 civilians in Moura.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 14, 2022 13:14 UTC