The Azawad Liberation Front has accused Mali’s military authorities of using cluster munitions during airstrikes targeting civilian areas in northern Mali, describing the alleged use as a “serious violation” of international humanitarian law and international treaties banning such weapons.
In a statement issued by its executive bureau on May 18, 2026, the group said airstrikes carried out in the Timbuktu and Kidal regions since early May showed “clear and repeated” use of cluster munitions by Malian forces and their Russian allies associated with what it referred to as the “African Corps.”
The statement noted that Mali signed the 2008 Wellington Declaration and ratified the Oslo Convention banning the production, stockpiling, and use of cluster munitions, which entered into force in August 2010. It said any use of such weapons would constitute a breach of Mali’s international obligations.
The Azawad Liberation Front called for “urgent international action” to halt what it described as violations, accusing the military authorities in Bamako of using weapons with indiscriminate and devastating effects on civilians.
The statement added that cluster munitions leave behind unexploded ordnance that effectively becomes landmines, continuing to threaten civilians, especially children, long after attacks end.
The group also said it had collected unexploded remnants and munitions with the assistance of local residents, describing them as evidence intended to demonstrate the use of internationally banned weapons.
No official response had yet been issued by Malian authorities regarding the allegations contained in the statement.
