MOSCOW, September 25 (RAPSI) - International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda condemned the “appalling attack” on high-end retail outlet Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, vowing to work alongside Kenya and the international community in order to bring the attackers to justice.
According to the statement, “Such attacks by armed groups upon innocent civilians are contrary to international law and may constitute a crime under the Rome Statute, to which Kenya is a State Party. In expressing her solidarity with the victims, their families and the people of Kenya, and with full respect for the primacy of jurisdiction of the Republic of Kenya, the Prosecutor stands ready to work with the international community and the Government of Kenya to ensure that those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice.”
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced Tuesday that 61 civilians and six security officers had lost their lives in the attack. He further announced that five militants had been killed and 11 captured in confrontations with security forces. Furthermore, he announced that toward the end of the confrontations, three of the mall’s floors had collapsed, leaving many trapped in the rubble.
The president vowed to bring the attackers to justice, and encouraged his countrymen to have heart: “As we put this tragic period behind us, let us stay true to who we are. Our attackers wished to destroy the essential character of our society. They failed. Kenya endured. Kenya endures.With our openness and inclusivity, we shall confront and overcome all the challenges facing us as a nation. We shall rise as one, defend and build this nation together. In one accord we have triumphed. In one accord, we shall prosper.”
The attack at the Westgate mall in Nairobi's Westlands neighborhood was the deadliest terrorist attack in Kenya since the 1998 al-Qaida truck bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi, which killed more than 200 people.
The attack began last Saturday when some 12 to 15 militants from the Somali rebel group al-Shabab invaded the mall, wielding grenades and firing on civilians inside the complex, which includes shops for Nike, Adidas and Bose and is popular with foreigners and wealthy Kenyans.
The militants specifically targeted non-Muslims, and at least 18 foreigners were among the dead, including six Britons, as well as citizens from France, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Peru, India, Ghana, South Africa and China. Nearly 200 people were wounded, including five Americans.