The International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] confirmed war crime charges [press release] against Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi on Thursday for the destruction of historical and religious monuments in Timbuktu and ordered [order, PDF] him to stand trial. Al Mahdi was surrendered to the ICC in September pursuant to an arrest warrant, and the crimes with which he is charged were allegedly committed sometime between June 30 and July 11, 2012, which resulted in the destruction or severe damage of all the buildings and structures. According to documents submitted by the ICC prosecutor, the buildings and structures were destroyed by individuals armed with weapons and a variety of tools including pickaxes and iron bars. Pursuant to various articles of the ICC Rome statute, the ICC found that there was sufficient evidence to establish Al Mahdi’s involvement in the commission of war crimes and intentional destruction of world heritage buildings. The ICC pointed out that the affected buildings in this case were a significant part of the cultural heritage of Timbuktu and of Mali and that the “the evidence is univocal in showing that the Buildings/ Structures specifically identified, chosen and targeted precisely in light and because of their religious and historical character.” The court considered various types of evidence in reaching its decision including witnesses’ testimonies, video materials, imagery materials, expert analyses, official documents emanating from Malian authorities and international organisations (including UNESCO [official website]) and media reports.

The danger to world heritage sites and other important landmarks in Mali is not the only concern among the international community regarding the country. Mali has been facing a humanitarian crisis since 2012 that has raised graver international concerns. In May 2012 Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] released a report saying that Mali was facing its worst human rights crisis [JURIST report] since it gained independence in 1960. Human Rights Watch released a similar report in April claiming that all sides to the conflict are committing war crimes [JURIST report]. Earlier in April the ICC said they would monitor the situation [JURIST report] in Mali for potential crimes under the ICC’s jurisdiction. The turmoil began when Taureg rebels attacked Malian soldiers [Al Jazeera report]. Many in the international community expressed concern [JURIST report] over the situation, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon [official website], then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees [official website]. All of this came after Malian soldiers took control of the government [JURIST report] and suspended the constitution in March 2012.