On June 14, 2025, a collective of humanitarian and human rights organizations, primarily from the Tuareg, Fulani, and Arab communities based in Europe and the Americas, organized a protest in front of the headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The purpose of this demonstration was to formally file a complaint against the regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso, accused of perpetrating massacres against Sahelian civilian populations, particularly Tuareg, Arab, Fulani, and Songhai.
Among the initiators of this mobilization was the Organization of the Tuareg Diaspora in Europe (ODTE), which played a central role in the logistical organization of the event, particularly by obtaining the necessary authorizations from the municipality of The Hague.
For its part, the Imouhagh International Organization has compiled an exhaustive dossier gathering evidence and testimonies on crimes committed against Sahel-Saharan civilians—primarily the Fulani, Tuareg, and Arabs—by both the Malian and Burkinabé armed forces, as well as by various jihadist groups operating in the region, which is now plagued by growing insecurity.
Compiling this dossier would not have been possible without the support of other organizations, notably Kal Akal, as well as the direct participation of the victims themselves, whose accounts helped support the complaint.
Another organization, Azawad Solidarity, also played a decisive role in the success of the march. With logistical support from Imouhagh International, it helped mobilize the participants, ensuring their transportation to The Hague.
Tuareg activists, accompanied by their European and North African allies—particularly Mauritanians—flocked to the Dutch capital, carrying the flags of Azawad and Tamazgha.
The march was punctuated by songs from the renowned band Tinariwen, and the poignant voice of guitarist Abdallah regularly echoed: “Why is the world silent in the face of the massacres of the people of Azawad? Imouhagh, where are you to denounce these crimes?”
The various organizations appearing before the ICC unanimously demanded a thorough investigation into the massacres, acts of ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, and exile of hundreds of thousands of Tuareg, Arab, and Fulani civilians, particularly in the northern and central regions of Mali (Macina).
Speeches of solidarity were delivered by several prominent figures: the President of Imouhagh International opened the session, followed by the President of the ODTE, the local representative of the ODTE in The Hague, the President of Azawad Solidarity, and members of the Azawad Political Forum.
Messages of support were also delivered, notably by Issouf Ag Maha, a Tuareg writer from Aïr, and Mohamed Ag Ahmedou, a civil society activist and cultural mediator.
In his message, Issouf Ag Maha addressed the President of the ICC directly, calling for an impartial investigation into the violence, extrajudicial executions, and forced displacement in Mali. He recalled that the Malian transitional government unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Peace Agreement signed with the political and military movements of Azawad.
He also pointed out that this same government expelled UN forces and international partners from the country, only to then enter into a military partnership with the Wagner mercenary company, held responsible for numerous massacres of civilians, particularly Fulani, in Moura and other Azawad regions.
He urged the ICC to question the Malian transitional authorities, whom he considers primarily responsible for this tragedy. According to him, only a negotiated and inclusive solution with representatives of Azawad could guarantee peace.
The President of the Azawad Political Forum, for his part, issued an urgent appeal to the international community: ECOWAS, the African Union, the UN and its Security Council, the OIC, the European Union, and the European Parliament, to take the necessary measures to end the bloodshed in northern and central Mali. He warned that if nothing were done, a tragedy comparable to that of Gaza could be repeated in Azawad.
Finally, he called on the Turkish government to assume its responsibility for the deaths of civilians killed by drones supplied to an illegitimate coup regime. He reminded the Islamic world that the people of Azawad are descendants of the Almoravids and the conquerors of Andalusia, and as such, they deserve respect, attention, and protection.
Dr. Mahfouz Ag Adnane
24-06-25
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LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF AZAWAD!!
Peaceful Rally in Front of the Headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
The Hague (Netherlands)