By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

BAMAKO, Mali – On Tuesday, a man accused of killing his neighbor was publicly executed by firing squad in the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu.

 

An alleged member of the ethnic Tuareg rebel group, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), he was accused of killing his neighbor. Eyewitnesses report that he was brought in handcuffs to the execution area and seated with his legs facing Mecca before a judge ordered his sentence to be carried out. “I saw him fall after the shots were fired,” said one witness. “He was shot in the back, but did not die until several hours later,” another said.

The man’s public execution was decreed by an ultra-conservative Muslim rebel group, Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith), who is reportedly connected with Al-Qaeda’s north African branch, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

“[The executed man] turned himself in… He was judged, condemned to death and executed this evening. He was shot in the same way he shot his victim. This is what the Sharia says,” Sanda Ould Boumana, a spokesperson for Ansar Dine, told the press on Tuesday.

Ansar Dine and the MNLA used to be allies, but the alliance between the two was short-lived due to internal conflict among their members. Since then, the members of Ansar Dine have been chasing MNLA members out of towns under their control.

Since Ansar Dine took over Timbuktu from separatist groups including the MNLA, the place has been under Sharia law. The public killing is purportedly the latest demonstration by the rebel group of its intention to impose Ansar Dine’s rigid and strict interpretation of Islamic law.

A fews months back, Ansar Dine ravaged through Timbuktu sacking its 15^th and 16^th century mosques and tombs declaring the sites to be idolatrous and haram (Forbidden in Islam).

More recently, Ansar Dine members have arrested unveiled women, stoned an unmarried couple to death, publicly flogged smokers, amputated at least eight suspected thieves, and administered lashings to people accused of drinking alcohol, according to local eyewitnesses and residents.

Human rights groups, along with the United Nations Security Council, expressed their concern about the increasing number of human rights violations committed by the rebel group. West African countries from the regional bloc ECOWAS already requested the UN to issue a mandate for military intervention in northern Mali. The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold “preliminary” talks over this request on Thursday.

 

For further information, please see:

AFP – Mali Islamists execute alleged murderer in Timbuktu: witnesses – 3 October 2012

Al Jazeera – Mali hardliners carry out public execution – 3 October 2012

BBC News – Mali Islamists kill man by firing squad in Timbuktu – 3 October 2012

Reuters – Mali Islamists execute accused murderer in Timbuktu – 2 October 2012

Al Jazeera – ICC Threatens Mali Islamists with War Crimes – 2 July 2012

By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria—On Tuesday, October 2, 2012, more than 25 students and citizens were killed in the town of Mubi in Nigeria in the state of Adamawa. Four of those killed were students of the College of Health Technology in Mubi, seven others were members of the Federal Polytechnic Institution and fourteen other citizens of the town lost their lives in the shootings. The attack was carried out at night while most of those killed were sleeping. The gunmen went door-to-door to called out their victims by name before they shot them. It remains unclear who is responsible for the attack.

The reports suggest that several men in military uniform entered the residence halls and gathered the students outside of their dorm rooms. Once they were lined up, they were shot and their bodies were left in rows outside of the dorm buildings. The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Ken Henshaw, said that the killings were “simply shocking.” But he also noted that, “it seems to make a lot of sense that it could have been an outcome of the elections that were held the previous day.”

There does exist some rivalry between different groups of students that may be influenced by national politics, religion or ethnicity, and this would not be the first time that it would reach this level of violence. The deputy registrar of the Polytechnic school, Shuaib Aroke, denies that these killings were linked to any student politics. He said, “It is a fallacy. We are united here at polytechnic.”

Before these shootings, the town of Mubi was already held to an extensive curfew between 3pm and 6am after a series of arrests were made of people with links to prior attacks with Boko Haram last week. Boko Haram is a violent group that is fighting to establish Islamic law in Nigeria and has killed over 1,000 people in a number of attacks across the northern and central areas of the nation this year. The schools are now closed and many of the students have left town.

Senator Bindowo Jibrilla, from the Adamawa North Senatorial District, in discussing these types of crimes noted regrettably, “when they happen in this country, after a week, we tend to forget it and wait for the next one to happen.” The Senate President David Mark also said, “Terrorists will succeed once they can stop you from doing what you want to do and once they can stop government from doing what they want to do, they want all Nigerians to be very scared of sending their children to polytechnics and universities. I think these are very serious challenges and we must address them.”

 

For further information, please see:

All Africa – Nigeria: Scores Arrested Over Mubi Killings – 4 October 2012

All Africa – Nigeria: Outrage Trails Mubi Massacre – 4 October 2012

BBC News – Nigeria Police Deny Mubi Student Killings Arrests – 4 October 2012

Channels – Police Arrest Mubi Murder Suspects – 4 October 2012