The International Criminal Court (ICC) unsealed an arrest warrant Friday for a Malian accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Timbuktu during 2012-13. Iyad Ag Ghaly, also known as Abou Fadl, is suspected of leading the al-Qaida-linked extremist group Ansar Dine.

Originally issued under seal in 2017, the warrant charges Ghaly with crimes including murder, rape, sexual slavery, and persecution of women and girls on gender grounds. It also covers an attack on a military base where more than 40 Malian soldiers were executed, including some who had surrendered and others who were in the base’s hospital.

The ICC stated there are “reasonable grounds to believe that he would be the undisputed leader” of Ansar Dine, which held power in northern Mali at the time. The reasons for unsealing the warrant now remain unclear.

The prosecution office welcomed the unsealing, highlighting ongoing efforts to deliver justice for victims in Mali since 2012. They emphasized that under international humanitarian law and the Rome Statute, all individuals’ lives are of equal value and deserving of protection.

Ghaly’s whereabouts remain unknown. The announcement comes days before the ICC’s scheduled verdict in the trial of Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, another alleged extremist from Ansar Dine, accused of enforcing a brutal regime in Timbuktu. The verdict is expected on June 26.

In 2016, Ansar Dine member Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi was convicted and sentenced to nine years for attacking mausoleums and a mosque door in Timbuktu.

Mali, along with Burkina Faso and Niger, has battled an insurgency by armed groups, including those allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State. Recent military coups in these nations have led to the expulsion of French forces and a turn to Russian mercenary units for security assistance.