Legal qualification of the conflict in Mali

The IHL Centre in Mali has produced a legal brief which focus on the qualification of the situation in Mali and the applicable law. This legal brief provides a detailed analysis of the legal frameworks governing the multiple and overlapping NIACs in Mali.

Under international law, the current situation in Mali consists of several non-international armed conflicts involving notably the Malian armed forces, the French armed forces and several armed groups. International humanitarian law (IHL) applies to acts of hostilities and other events linked to these armed confrontations. The Malian context is also characterized by other acts of violence, including intercommunal violence, which are not necessarily related to these armed conflicts. If not, these other acts are covered (and prohibited) by human rights law and Malian law. The application of international law (IHL and human rights law) has important consequences, including for the legality of the use of force, the protection owed to affected populations and the qualification of certain violent acts as international crimes.