UN Report: French Strike in Mali Killed 19 Civilians in January – France denies

A French air strike killed 19 civilians in Mali in January, a UN report based on 115 individual interviews said on Tuesday, prompting a strong denial from France. The French air force struck near the remote village of Bounti on January 3, in circumstances that sparked controversy in the war-torn Sahel state. Residents of the village said the strike hit a wedding party and killed civilians. In the incident’s aftermath, France’s military said it had killed jihadists, not civilians, and also denied the presence of a wedding party in Bounti. The United Nations mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, subsequently…