Consecration ceremony in Timbuktu to celebrate rehabilitation of destroyed medieval mausoleums

Some good news from Mali today with reports of a consecration ceremony held in Timbuktu on February 4, 2016 to mark the restoration of 14 medieval mausoleums destroyed by Islamist militants during their occupation of this world heritage site in 2012.

Djingareyber Mosque (credit: upyernoz)

Rehabilitation of the mausoleums began in March 2014, with local masons working under the supervision of the Imam of the Djingareyber Mosque and with support from UNESCO and the United Nations mission to Mali, known as MINUSMA.

ICC case involving Timbuktu war crimes suspect inches forward

The trial of Mr. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is one step closer today with the Court's ruling that confirmation of charges against Mr. Al Mahdi would take place on March 1, 2016.

As reported previously on this blog, Mr. Al Mahdi stands accused of war crimes in relation to the destruction of mausoleums and a mosque in Timbuktu, a world heritage site, while the city was under occupation by Islamist forces in 2012.

f the charges are confirmed, the case will be transferred to a Trial Chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of the proceedings.

Rebuilding Timbuktu's historical buildings

Timbuktu, a world heritage site in northern Mali, was a centre for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries, and remains famous for its historical mosques and mausoleums as well as its libraries of ancient religious manuscripts. In 2012 Timbuktu's historical legacy was placed at risk when the city was seized by Islamist militants, and more than a dozen mausoleums and other religious buildings were destroyed.

While the international community strongly backed calls to rebuild the destroyed buildings after the Islamists left Timbuktu, UNESCO has reportedly struggled to raised even a quarter of the USD11 million estimated for the project. 

Meanwhile, local builders have pushed forward with their own rebuilding efforts using traditional methods and local materials, although a great deal of work remains to be done.