AFRICA/MALI - Serious human rights violations in the north continue

Bamako (Agenzia Fides) - The Association of Mali for the Protection of Human Rights (AMHR) has reported serious violations of human rights in the North African area controlled by Tuareg rebels and the armed Islamist groups, who declare themselves independent from the government of Bamako. According to sources of the AMHR, there have been sexual abuse of women, recruitment of children, looting and pillage at the hands of the militants of the Tuareg group National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA). Hotels, restaurants, bars and churches have been destroyed. This past April, the MNLA had announced the separation of the northern area of Mali and the founding of the "republic of Azawad", a vast region of 850,000 square kilometers which includes the three main cities in the north of the country, Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal. Amnesty International recently issued a warning about what is happening in Mali, where systematically extrajudicial killings and all kinds of sexual abuse at the hands of Tuareg rebels are committed. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 06/06/2012)