Human Rights Watch has called on the government of Mali to "credibly and independently" investigate the apparent extrajudicial execution of 22 men who were detained by the army in the town of Diafarabé. Senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch Ilaria Allegrozzi said in a May 20 statement: "The killing of at least 22 men in military custody puts a burden on the Malian authorities to demonstrate that its investigation is credible and to make public its findings." She further noted that those responsible should be prosecuted "fully and fairly."

Human Rights Watch (HRW) announced on May 16 that former Chadian prime minister and opposition leader Succès Masra was arrested at his residence in the capital N'Djamena, urging authorities to immediately release Masra unless they can substantiate the charges against him. HRW's Central Africa director Lewis Mudge stated: "The Chadian government should be seeking ways to dialogue with the political opposition, rather than shutting them down through the use of intimidation and violence."

Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the military of Burkina Faso on May 12 of orchestrating massacres of Fulani civilians between March 14 and April 22 under the auspices of a counter-terrorism operation against Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM)—which reportedly retaliated through the targeted killings of civilians viewed as supportive of the military.

The military operation took place in Banwa and Sourou provinces, with interviewees quoted by HRW stating that women, children and the elderly were often targeted. Witnesses believe that the operation has resulted in the displacement of most Fulani people from Banwa province. The Fulani have been collectively blamed for violence perpetrated by JNIM and other affiliated Islamist groups.

UN human rights experts on April 30 condemned the enforced disappearance and apparent summary execution of some 100 individuals in Mali. The experts stated that the unlawful killings and disappearances may constitute war crimes and  crimes against humanity.

The experts found that the Malian authorities have violated the right to life by failing to conduct proper investigations. The statement urged "Malian authorities to conduct prompt, effective, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigations into these killings and enforced disappearances, in accordance with international law."

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for an immediate investigation into the massacre of dozens of civilians in Burkina Faso's western city of Solenzo on March 10 and 11. In a March 14 statement, HRW noted video footage circulating on social media that implicates pro-government militias in the killings, raising serious concerns about accountability and civilian protection in a country already grappling with widespread violence and human rights abuses. The victims, many of whom belonged to the Fulani ethnic group, were targeted in what appears to be a reprisal attack amid ongoing counterinsurgency operations.

France 24 reports that negotiations are underway between the Qaeda-affiliated JNIM group (the main jihadist coalition in Mali) and the Tuareg-led secessionist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) over a possible alliance against the Malian army and its Russian mercenary allies. Mali's military government terminated a peace deal with the separatists last year after driving them out of their northern strongholds. The junta has consistently labelled secessionist groups as "terrorists'" and accused them of collusion with jihadists. Separatists deny this, though combatants from both groups share family and community ties, have allied opportunistically at times in the past, and operate in the same areas. According to France 24, current points of negotiation include JNIM softening its demands (perhaps mirroring the strategy of HTS in Syria), especially regarding the application of sharia law, and breaking ties to al-Qaeda. A sticking point may be the FLA's goal of an independent Azawad—the name they give to northern Mali. Intensified fighting in the north over the past year has had severe humanitarian consequences, driving tens of thousands of people to neighboring Mauritania.

The Malian Armed Forces command has refuted accusations that soldiers were responsible for an attack that took place on Feb. 17, in which 24 civilians including women and children were killed. The armed forces denied any involvement in the massacre, which is said to have occurred in Tilemsi commune, Gao region. Press reports indicate a caravan of vehicles carrying migrants across the desert was targeted in the attack, which was carried out jointly with Russian mercenaries.

Dubbed "Sahelexit," the decision by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to leave the West African regional community known as ECOWAS is now official. The three members of the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—sanctioned over coups that overturned their elected governments—are out. It leaves the 12 other countries in ECOWAS, one of Africa's most economically integrated blocs, rethinking the organization's relevance. Like ECOWAS, the new group will allow free movement between their shared territories—now derisively referred to as the "coup belt." But it is in the field of security cooperation that the AES states will be especially missed. Jihadist insurgents are on the march. So-called "Islamic State" forces have set up in northwest Nigeria, where they are known as Lakurawa. With neighboring Niger now pulling out of a regional Multilateral Joint Task Force, there are fears that countering the threat will be all the harder.