An arrest warrant for Iyad Ag Ghaly, also known as Abou Fadl, has been unsealed by the International Criminal Court.
Ghaly is accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Timbuktu, Mali, between 2012 and 2013. He is suspected of leading an al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremist group called Ansar Dine, which held power in northern Mali at the time. The warrant charges Ghaly with various crimes, including murder, rape, sexual slavery, and persecution of women and girls on gender grounds.
The court stated that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Ghaly was the undisputed leader of the extremist group. The reason for unsealing the warrant at this time is not immediately clear.
The court’s prosecution office welcomed the unsealing, emphasizing its commitment to delivering justice for the victims of crimes committed in Mali since 2012. The prosecution office did not comment on Ghaly’s whereabouts.
This announcement coincides with the upcoming verdict in the trial of another alleged Islamic extremist who was charged with enforcing a brutal Islamic regime in Timbuktu after the city was overrun by al-Qaida-linked rebels in 2012.
Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud faces allegations of being a prominent figure within Ansar Dine, a militant Islamic organisation with ties to al-Qaida that controlled the northern region of Mali during that period. The verdict for his trial is set to be announced on June 26.
Another member of Ansar Dine, Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi, was found guilty by the court in 2016 and received a nine-year prison sentence for his involvement in the destruction of nine mausoleums and a mosque entrance in Timbuktu in 2012.
Mali, in conjunction with neighbouring countries Burkina Faso and Niger, has been engaged in a prolonged conflict against insurgent factions, some of which are affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, for more than ten years.
With recent military coups in all three nations, the ruling authorities have expelled French troops and sought security support from Russia’s private military contractors instead.
