Compensation of 4.7 billion CFA francs for the victims of Hassan Abdel Aziz in Mali

The case of the victims of abuses in Timbuktu is one of the most prominent cases that highlighted the extent of human suffering witnessed in the city during the period of armed unrest in northern Mali, where it identified International Criminal CourtThe value of the compensation due to the victims of the crimes attributed to the accused Al-Hassan in the city of Timbuktu is 7.25 million euros, equivalent to about 4.755 billion African francs, according to the exchange rate adopted by the court.

UN compensation for victims in Timbuktu after widespread abuses

Investigations revealed that thousands of civilians were subjected to serious violations, including torture, cruel treatment and persecution, along with deep social and psychological effects that continue to this day.

This case comes within the framework of international justice efforts to provide redress for victims, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure that such violations are not repeated in the future.

The decision was issued on April 28, and its official French version was registered on June 11.

The Tenth Trial Chamber estimates that some 65,202 victims, either directly or indirectly, are eligible for these compensations related to the crimes committed in Timbuktu.

Reparations are primarily collective and community-based, with limited individual compensation allocated to specific victims who suffered physical or psychological harm. These reparations focus on rehabilitation, symbolic gestures, and achieving moral redress.

Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud was convicted on June 26, 2024 of three crimes against humanity and five war crimes in Timbuktu between April 2012 and January 2013, and sentenced on November 20, 2024 to ten years in prison.

The crimes attributed to him include torture, cruel treatment, gross violations of human dignity, mutilation, extrajudicial killings, and religious persecution, all within his role in the Islamic police force established during the control of the city by armed groups.

The ruling stipulates that compensation does not include all the damages inflicted on the city of Timbuktu during the occupation period, but is limited to the crimes for which the accused was convicted, excluding other acts not covered by the ruling despite their impact on the population.

However, the financial viability of these compensations remains uncertain, given the court's assessment that the defendant is insolvent. The Victims' Support Fund is expected to develop an implementation plan and mobilize the necessary resources to ensure the compensation is paid.

This case follows that of Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi, the first Malian defendant to be tried before the International Criminal Court, who was convicted in 2016 and sentenced to nine years in prison for destroying religious and historical sites in Timbuktu, including shrines and the gate of the Sidi Yahya Mosque.

In that case, the compensation amounted to 2.7 million euros (approximately 1.771 billion CFA francs), and was mainly related to the destruction of cultural heritage and the economic and moral damages suffered by the city's residents.

As for the Hassan case, it focuses on the direct violations against individuals and the consequences of the social order imposed during the occupation period, while the two cases together reflect different dimensions of the damage inflicted on the city of Timbuktu, between the destruction of heritage and the harming of the population.