A former Islamist rebel is facing nine years behind bars after admitting the destruction of holy shrines in Mali – judged for the first time as a war crime by the International Criminal Court.
Some say they are prepared to forgive Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi for the destruction of 10 mausoleums and religious sites in Timbuktu during Mali’s 2012 conflict.
Such acts have rarely been prosecuted despite being illegal under international law.
Photos nowavailableof #ICC #AlMahdi #verdict: https://t.co/Ipp0XTLaAL pic.twitter.com/shjTyc8Jyy— Int’l CriminalCourt (@IntlCrimCourt) September27, 2016
Mixed views in Timbuktu
There are mixed views in Timbuktu.
“Timbuktu is a religious, forgiving and tolerant city. Ahmad al-Faqi apologised and he regretted his actions. So, being a city of tolerance and Islam, I think it is a relief to us,” said Timbuktu resident Baba Haidara.
“Our religion is one of forgiveness, so it is up to us to forgive him,” said Alphadi Wangara, the Imam of the city’s Sidi Yahya mosque. “As a religious, Muslim man, I personally don’t recognise the ICC’s justice system. I know that the ICC is not just. So it is up to us to sentence or forgive Ahmad al-Faqi.”
The head of Timbuktu’s cultural mission, Al Boukhari Ben Essayouti, oversaw reconstruction of the city’s damaged sites with UNESCO’s assistance.
He said the trial sent a clear message. “Its goal was to make people understand that, just like when people are condemned for killing a man, when you destroy heritage, you can also be condemned. So that is the main message that we received.”
How important were the sites attacked?
