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Since January 2012, an armed conflict continued in Mali between the Government forces and a number of non-state armed groups, as well as between these armed groups themselves. In April of the same year, the conflict shifted to the North of the Country.
Last July 18, 2012, the Malian Government referred to the ICC ‘the situation in Mali since January 2012’. Please note that, previously, Mali signed (1998) and ratified (2000) the Rome Statute on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court (ICC).
Thus, the Office of the Prosecutor conducted a preliminary examination of the situation in Mali until January 2013.
Finally, on January 16, 2013, the Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda formally opened an investigation into alleged crimes committed on the territory of Mali during the past twelve months.
In a previous report, the Office of the Prosecutor stated that ‘the information available indicates that there is a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes have been committed in Mali, since January 2012′.
In particular, at this stage, the competent organs are investigating on the crimes of: (i) murder; (ii) mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; (iii) intentionally directing attacks against protected objects; (iv) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgement pronounced by a regularly constituted court; (v) pillaging, and (vi) rape.