As central Mali sinks deeper into a spiral of unchecked violence, the statement from the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) following the attacks on Ningari and Sarédina casts a harsh light on the structural weaknesses of the transitional government’s security approach.

The grim pattern and the state’s empty promises

The scenario has become painfully familiar: villages struck, unarmed civilians executed, homes set ablaze, and then the inevitable wave of official statements expressing outrage and sympathy. The recent atrocities in the Bandiagara circle, specifically in Ningari and Sarédina, underline a brutal truth that official rhetoric tries to hide: despite triumphant claims about the growing strength of the Malian armed forces (FAMa), the day-to-day protection of citizens remains a glaring failure.

The illusion of territorial control and civilian abandonment

The CNDH’s statement, signed by its interim president, lawyer Aissata Founè Tembely, serves as a stark wake-up call to the authorities in Bamako. By stressing that the safety of people and property is the state’s “primary sovereign duty,” the commission effectively exposes administrative and military shortcomings on the ground.

In the Dogon country, the security vacuum left by the absence or ineffectiveness of continuous state presence leaves residents at the mercy of terrorist armed groups. While public discourse focuses on national sovereignty and managing the narrative, the fundamental social contract between the state and its citizens in the central region has been broken. Sovereignty cannot be measured by the firmness of speeches in Bamako, but by the real ability to protect the life of a farmer or trader in Ningari.

Institutionalised impunity and the futility of promised investigations

As with every tragedy, the CNDH calls for “independent and impartial” investigations to bring the perpetrators to justice. But how credible are these calls when the judicial system is effectively paralysed in conflict zones?

The repeated massacres, with no major trial to assign responsibility, fuel a devastating sense of impunity. Without concrete prosecutions, demands for investigations resemble a bureaucratic ritual designed to mask institutional emptiness. This absent justice erodes public trust in the state and inevitably pushes communities toward self-defence or opportunistic alliances, further fragmenting the social fabric.

The all-military trap and humanitarian law violations

By urging the FAMa to strictly respect international humanitarian law (IHL), the CNDH also warns of the dangers of a purely military strategy without safeguards. In their pursuit of terrorist groups, security forces and their auxiliaries are often accused by civil society of indiscriminate actions and abuses against local populations.

This approach, which prioritises body counts and media-friendly operations over lasting community security, produces the opposite of the intended effect. Each blunder or summary execution becomes a prime recruitment tool for extremist groups. By reminding that the fight against terrorism cannot disregard human rights, the CNDH cautions: a military victory achieved at the expense of the law is merely an illusion that sows the seeds of future revolts.

The CNDH’s warning is unambiguous. If the transitional authorities continue to favour political posturing and security messaging over genuine, impartial, and judicial protection of their citizens, Mali risks losing far more than territory—it will forfeit the very legitimacy of its state.