Banned Russian Submunitions Found After Mali's Military Announces Airstrikes

6 hours ago

Unexploded Russian-made ShOAB-0.5 submunitions (cluster munition bomblets) were found in Tadjmart village, northern Mali, after airstrikes announced by the Malian Armed Forces on May 17.
Mali is a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which prohibits the use of such weapons, but Russia is not a party to this agreement.
The Russian paramilitary Africa Corps group, which replaced Wagner in Mali, has been supporting Malian military operations, raising questions about responsibility for deploying the cluster munitions.
Geolocated footage shows the unexploded bomblets near buildings and small craters, with additional footage revealing destroyed and burning structures possibly from separate attacks.
Cluster munitions like the RBK-500 dispenser that carries ShOAB-0.5 bomblets are indiscriminate and can leave hazardous unexploded ordnance, posing long-term risks to civilians.
Malian and Russian authorities did not provide substantive responses to inquiries, and it remains unclear which force deployed the cluster munitions, despite Mali's obligations under the CCM.

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