• Mali: All Sides Must Abide by Laws of War
    May 7, 2013
    Press release
    All warring parties in northern Mali are obligated to abide by the laws of war in the event of a Malian military offensive against opposition armed groups in the Kidal region. Past abuses have heightened concerns about the need for all armed forces to minimize harm to civilians and ensure the humane treatment of all prisoners, in accordance with the 1949 Geneva Conventions and customary international humanitarian law.
  • Mali: End Child Labor in Gold Mines
    Apr 18, 2013
    Press release
    The Malian government should take immediate action to address child labor in mining instead of denying it. Human Rights Watch published an in-depth report on the issue in December 2011, but Malian authorities attacked this research at a news conference earlier in April 2013 and rejected well-documented evidence that child labor is used in the country’s mines.
  • Mali: Two Torture Victims Die in Detention
    Apr 11, 2013
    Press release
    Two ethnic Tuareg men who had been arrested on February 15, 2013, and tortured by Malian soldiers in the town of Léré, Timbuktu region, have died in detention at the Central Prison in Bamako.
  • Mali: Soldiers Torture Detainees in Léré
    Mar 26, 2013
    Press release
    The government of Mali should investigate allegations that Malian soldiers tortured seven suspected supporters of Islamist armed groups in Léré, near Timbuktu.
  • Mali: Prosecute Soldiers for Abuses
    Feb 21, 2013
    Press release
    The Malian government should urgently investigate and prosecute soldiers responsible for torture, summary executions, and enforced disappearances of suspected Islamist rebels and alleged collaborators since the fighting in northern Mali resumed in January 2013. Mali’s international partners should bolster accountability efforts and civilian protection in the north to help prevent further abuses.
  • Mali: Malian Army, Islamist Groups Executed Prisoners
    Feb 1, 2013
    Press release
    Malian government forces summarily executed at least 13 suspected Islamist supporters and forcibly disappeared five others from the garrison town of Sévaré and in Konna during January 2013. Islamist armed groups in Konna executed at least seven Malian soldiers, five of whom were wounded, and used children as soldiers in combat.
  • AU Summit: Rights Key for Addressing Crises
    Jan 21, 2013
    Press release
    The African Union (AU) should make human rights central to its discussions about crises situations in Africa at its summit meeting this week in Ethiopia, Human Rights Watch said today in an open letter to the AU chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The Ordinary Summit begins on January 21, 2013, and AU heads of state are due to meet on January 27 and 28 in Addis Ababa.
  • Mali: Islamists Should Free Child Soldiers
    Jan 15, 2013
    Press release
    Islamist armed groups occupying northern Mali should immediately release all child soldiers within their ranks and end the military conscription and use of those under 18. With France carrying out aerial bombardment since January 11, 2013, to block the Islamists from advancing farther south, rebel groups should remove children immediately from training bases in or near Islamist military installations.
  • Mercury Treaty: Last Chance to Address Health Effects
    Jan 10, 2013
    Press release
    A proposed international treaty to address the damaging effects of mercury should include specific provisions to protect the health of children and other vulnerable populations, Human Rights Watch said today. Governments are to meet in Geneva beginning January 13, 2013, for a fifth and final round of talks for the treaty. Mercury is a toxic metal that attacks the central nervous system and is particularly harmful to children.