Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense-affiliated 'African Corps' and the Malian armed forces have committed new crimes against civilians in central Mali. According to the report, hundreds of people were detained during counter-insurgency operations and subsequently held at military bases.

Four men detained in central Mali reported being held in a 20-meter shipping container with no ventilation, water, or toilet facilities, with over 70 people crammed inside. They claim they were denied medical care, given poor quality food once a day, and subjected to torture, including waterboarding and electric shocks, to extract confessions of alleged links to the JNIM group. Some detainees reportedly died after torture, with one survivor stating eight people died during his detention. Released detainees' relatives paid ransoms ranging from $1,800 to $3,000.