A former Islamist rebel is facing nine years behind bars after admitting the destruction of holy shrines in Mali – judged for the first time as a war crime by the International Criminal Court.<br /><br /> Some say they are prepared to forgive Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi for the destruction of 10 mausoleums and religious sites in Timbuktu during Mali’s 2012 conflict.<br /><br /> Such acts have rarely been prosecuted despite being illegal under international law.<br /><br /> Photos nowavailableof #ICC #AlMahdi #verdict: https://t.co/Ipp0XTLaAL pic.twitter.com/shjTyc8Jyy— Int’l CriminalCourt (@IntlCrimCourt) September27, 2016 <br /><br /> Mixed views in Timbuktu<br /><br /> There are mixed views in Timbuktu.<br /><br /> “Timbuktu is a religious, forgiving and tolerant city. Ahmad al-Faqi apologised and he regretted his actions. So, being a city of tolerance and Islam, I think it is a relief to us,” said Timbuktu resident Baba Haidara.<br /><br /> “Our religion is one of forgiveness, so it is up to us to forgive him,” said Alphadi Wangara, the Imam of the city’s Sidi Yahya mosque. “As a religious, Muslim man, I personally don’t recognise the ICC’s justice system. I know that the ICC is not just. So it is up to us to sentence or forgive Ahmad al-Faqi.”<br /><br /> The head of Timbuktu’s cultural mission, Al Boukhari Ben Essayouti, oversaw reconstruction of the city’s damaged sites with UNESCO’s assistance.<br /><br /> He said the trial sent a clear message. “Its goal was to make people understand that, just like when people are condemned for killing a man, when you destroy heritage, you can also be condemned. So that is the main message that we received.”<br /><br /> How important were the sites attacked?<br />
