Lavrov Says UN Experts Not Empowered To Investigate Wagner's Alleged War Crimes In Mali

UN experts are not authorized to arbitrarily investigate war crimes, including those allegedly committed by Russia's Wagner Group private military company in Mali, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday

BAMAKO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th February, 2023) UN experts are not authorized to arbitrarily investigate war crimes, including those allegedly committed by Russia's Wagner Group private military company in Mali, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

On January 31, human rights experts collaborating with the United Nations called for an investigation into the activities of the Wagner Group and Mali's government forces, citing alleged massacres of civilians. On February 5, the Malian authorities expelled the head of the human rights division of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali from the country after he accused the Russian private military company of violating human rights.

"As for some UN experts conducting some kind of research about the alleged crimes of the Wagner private military company, I am not aware of any UN experts being empowered to consider any aspect of war crimes, no matter who committed them," Lavrov said at joint press conference after a meeting with Mali's Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop.

Only the UN Security Council has the authority to carry out such investigations, the Russian top diplomat added.

"There is such an authority, at least it was written into the statute of the International Criminal Court at the time, that for those countries that have acceded to that statute, the decisions of the International Criminal Court must be implemented," Lavrov said.

The Wagner Group is known above all for its participation in Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and its role in taking control of the city of Soledar. In addition, the West has long been accusing mercenaries from the Russian private military company of taking part in the hostilities in central Mali.

In January, the United States designated the Wagner Group as a significant transnational criminal organization. The United Kingdom is also mulling the possibility of labeling the Russian private military company a terrorist organization, media reported in February. Commenting on the US decision, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that it will not have any significance for Russia or for the Wagner Group itself.