ICC investigates war crimes in Mali: Fatou Bensouda
Islamist leader Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi at an appearance at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on August 22, 2016. He was jailed for nine years in 2016 after he pleaded guilty to directing attacks on the Timbuktu shrines. The ICC is probing more war crimes in Mali. PHOTO | PATRICK POST | AFP
What you need to know:
- Ex-jihadist pleaded guilty to damaging fabled shrines in Timbuktu.
- ICC is investigating war crimes in Mali.
BAMAKO
The International Criminal Court said on Wednesday it was investigating several potential war crimes including murder in Mali, months after finding an ex-jihadist guilty and liable for millions worth of damage in the landlocked country.
"Our investigations are continuing (into) other crimes... sexual crimes and crimes against peacekeepers, killings and all those," ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told reporters in Bamako.
TAKEOVER
The Hague-based tribunal said in August that ex-jihadist Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi caused 2.7 million euros worth of damage when he destroyed several fabled shrines in Timbuktu, in northern Mali, during the jihadist takeover there in 2012.
The judges further ordered that the Malian state as well as the international community be compensated with a symbolic amount of one euro for the damages suffered.
Al-Mahdi was jailed for nine years in 2016 after he pleaded guilty to directing attacks on the UNESCO world heritage site and apologised to the Timbuktu community.
LANDMARK
It was a landmark case for the ICC as it was the first time a jihadist had pleaded guilty to a war crimes charge.
Bensouda said the court was expanding its investigation in Mali, which is home to a 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission.
"I am not in position to talk about what else is being done regards to Al-Mahdi proper but all I can tell you the court is looking at other crimes within the context of our investigations in Mali," she said.
