A/HRC/28/83 III. The human rights situation A. 1. Civil and political rights Human rights violations committed by the Malian armed forces 54. The Independent Expert has received reports of violations committed by the Malian armed forces. There have been eight incidents in which they have been implicated in this regard. They involve violations of the right to life and to physical integrity and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. 55. The Independent Expert notes that there has been a marked decrease in cases of violations of the right to life attributable to the Malian armed forces since his last report. The fact that they are stationed in different parts of the north could explain this development. 56. The most emblematic of the incidents took place in the town of Kidal, in which violent confrontations broke out between Malian armed forces and armed groups during the visit of the Prime Minister of Mali on 16 and 17 May 2014. On the morning of 21 May, fighting involving the use of heavy weapons took place between the Malian armed forces and the various armed groups present in the town. The fighting in and around the Kidal governorate building resulted in loss of life (of civilians and soldiers) and extensive material damage. The Malian armed forces reportedly carried out indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, which caused harm to the civilian population in the town. 57. The Independent Expert notes that one person was killed by a member of the Malian armed forces in Gao’s Quatrième Quartier, or Fourth District. The incident reportedly occurred during the night of 15 to 16 November 2014; at around 1 a.m., a Malian army lance corporal allegedly entered a bar with his weapon and began to check identity papers. During the identity check, he was said to have stripped the people present of their belongings and then opened fire, killing one person and wounding five others before he was overpowered and brought to the gendarmerie, where he was placed in detention in camp No. 1 of the Malian armed forces. 58. The Independent Expert notes with great concern the increasing number of rape cases involving minors committed by the Malian armed forces, particularly in the Gao and Timbuktu regions. He recalled the serious nature of such acts, which constitute one of the six grave violations against children in armed conflict. 59. The wave of rapes committed by elements of the Malian armed forces began on 9 May 2014, including the rape of a 14-year-old girl by two soldiers in the Château District of Gao. The two soldiers suspected of the rape have not faced any prosecution, which reinforces the sense of impunity within the army. 60. On 31 July 2014, a member of the Malian armed forces raped a 16-year-old girl of Arab descent in Timbuktu. The victim was provided with care by a doctor from the Central Emergency Response Fund in Timbuktu and Médecins sans frontières. The perpetrator was arrested; he is being held in solitary confinement in the military garrison pending a hearing by the military council with jurisdiction over such acts. 61. On 7 October 2014, a member of the armed forces of Mali raped an 11-year-old girl. According to the victim, she was at home when she was approached by a female neighbour. The neighbour then allegedly took her to a house located some 150 metres from her home, dragged her into a room where a man was waiting and closed the door as she left. The victim reportedly remained locked up for one hour with her torturer, who raped her. On the same day, the victim was taken to the hospital in Gao, where she received medical care and GE.15-00252 11