- Advertisement -
A symbolic ceremony to compensate the victims was organized on Tuesday, March 30, in Bamako by the Malian Transitional Authorities and the International Criminal Court. The incident follows the ICC’s conviction in 2016 of Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, executive director of the jihadist group Ansar Dine, which led the destruction of the mausoleums in Timbuktu in 2012. The mausoleums have since been rebuilt, and this ceremony was the opportunity to start the repair process for the victims.
With our special correspondent in Bamako, David Baché
Video of the trial ofAhmad Al Faqi al Mahdi, silent minute for the victims of terrorism in Mali and the Sahel… This ceremony is first and foremost a moment of meditation. It is also an opportunity for the Malian President of the Transition, Bah N’Daw, to greet the work of the International Criminal Court following the destruction of Timbuktu’s mausoleum.
“We appreciate the court’s determination, which makes the fight against impunity its hobby horse. We honorably accept the symbolic euro in compensation for the material and moral damage suffered by the Malian people. ”
One symbolic euro for the Malian people and another for all of humanity. Because the destruction of Timbuktu’s mausoleums constitutes a war crime against the world heritage. Fatou Bensouda, a prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, said: “This legacy is part of our common identity. This ceremony is both symbolic and historical. It reaffirms the crucial importance of compensation for victims in the legal process before the International Criminal Court. ”
2.7 million euros has just been released by the ICC Compensation Fund for the direct victims of the destruction of the mausoleums – that is, the descendants of the Saints – and for all the inhabitants of Timbuktu. Financial support and infrastructure projects should be implemented over the next three years.
► To read also: Mali: nine years after the jihadists were fired, the mausoleums in Timbuktu are reborn
.
