Bamako, Mali — May 20, 2026 The conflict in Mali has entered a perilous new phase with the reported use of cluster bombs by the Malian army and its Russian allies in the country’s north. This marks the first time such weapons have been employed in Mali, sparking widespread concern over civilian safety and the respect for international humanitarian law.
According to local sources, security specialists, and a rights group, cluster bombs were dropped at least twice last week during anti — terror operations in northern Mali.
The first strike occurred last Friday near In — Gouzma in the Timbuktu region, followed by another on Sunday near Aguelhoc in the Kidal region. These weapons, which release numerous smaller explosives over wide areas, pose a significant risk to civilians and can remain deadly long after the fighting ends. Images obtained by RFI have allowed specialists to identify a Russian-made RBK-500 cluster bomb and ShOAB-0.
5 bomblets, similar to those used in Syria and Ukraine.
The Malian army has publicly claimed responsibility for both air strikes but did not specify the weapons used.
The Collective for the Defence of the Rights of the People of Azawad/North Mali (CD-DPA) documented both strikes through its network of civilian contacts. Tilla Ag Zeini, the secretary general of CD-DPA, warned of the danger these bombs pose to civilians and children who might come into contact with them. Mali ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, also known as the Oslo Convention, in 2010, which bans the use of such weapons due to the risk they pose to civilians.
The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor reports that over 90 percent of those killed or wounded by cluster bombs worldwide are civilians, many of them children.
The Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg separatist coalition, has condemned the strikes and collected unexploded remnants as evidence.
The FLA and the al Qaeda — linked armed group JNIM have allied against Mali’s army and its Russian partners, including Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled Russian paramilitary force.
The situation in Mali is further complicated by the presence of Islamist extremist attacks in the region, including a recent attack that resulted in the burning of vehicles on the road linking Bamako to Guinea.
The attacks are part of a blockade imposed by JNIM around Bamako since late April.
The use of cluster bombs in Mali raises serious questions about the adherence to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians. It also underscores the need for a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the conflict in Mali, which has been ongoing for far too long.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
—
This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: rfi
Source: RFI
