Islamist Extremists Continue Destroying Africa's Islamic Heritage in Timbuktu

KTVL \ CBS TV
By Rukmini Callimachi

15th-century mausoleums of Sufi Muslim saints in Timbuktu.
Image courtesy of Muslim Village.

SENEGAL---Muslim extremists continued destroying the heritage of the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu on Monday, razing tombs and attacking the gate of a 600-year-old mosque, despite growing international outcry. The Islamic faction, known as Ansar Dine, or "Protectors of the Faith," seized control of Timbuktu last week after ousting the Tuareg rebel faction that had invaded northern Mali alongside Ansar Dine's soldiers three months ago. On Sunday during a stop in Senegal, Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, said that the destruction of the city's patrimony constitutes "a possible war crime," according to private radio station RFM.  [link]