Human Rights Council calls for an end to Mali violence
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Ambassador Sadiki Lamine Sow in Geneva
Violent acts committed by groups in northern Mali have been condemned by the UN Human Rights Council.
In a resolution adopted on Friday, the Council called for an immediate end to the violence which has included attacks against women, hostage-takings, killings, and the destruction of cultural and religious sites.
Sadiki Lamine Sow, Mali's ambassador in Geneva, said the occupation of two-thirds of his country by armed groups and terrorist organizations has led to the worst humanitarian crisis since independence in 1960.
"The destruction of Timbuktu between 28 June and 2 July 2012 and the tombs of Muslim saints that have been declared world heritage sites by UNESCO are added to the trauma of the kidnappings, serial rapes and the theft of goods and livestock. Rape, if you recall, is being used as a weapon of war, while religious fanaticism is being used to justify domination through denigration of the local culture and belief systems. These are crimes that are unacceptable to human understanding." (Duration: 32″)
