A report issued by the Office of the Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, found that the group has, since July 2009, “launched a widespread and systematic attack that has resulted in the killing of more than 1,200 Christian and Muslims civilians in different locations throughout Nigeria.

“The scale and intensity of the attacks have increased over time,” adds the report, which is based on preliminary information through December 2012.

The Office stated in a news release that it is now assessing whether the national authorities are conducting genuine proceedings in relation “to those who appear to bear the greatest responsibility for such crimes, and the gravity of such crimes.”

It added that the Prosecutor is still assessing three other phases of the situation in Nigeria, and once completed, will decide if a situation meets the legal criteria established by the Rome Statute – the Court’s founding treaty – to warrant an investigation by the ICC.

During the timeframe of the report, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) repeatedly warned Boko Haram against attacks on civilians.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in May to fight Boko Haram. Related anti-insurgent operations and general insecurity have uprooted thousands of people in north-eastern Nigeria, with more than 6,000 of them fleeing to neighbouring Niger for safety, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported in June.

Located in The Hague, in the Netherlands, the ICC is an independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern – namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes – if national authorities with jurisdiction are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely.

Fighting between Government forces and Tuareg rebels broke out in the country’s north last January, following which radical Islamists seized control of the area. The renewed clashes in the north, as well as the proliferation of armed groups in the region, drought and political instability in the wake of a military coup d’état in March have uprooted hundreds of thousands of civilians over the course of 2012.

“Since the beginning of the armed conflict in January 2012, the people of Northern Mali have been living in profound turmoil,” said the ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda.

“At each stage during the conflict, different armed groups have caused havoc and human suffering through a range of alleged acts of extreme violence. I have determined that some of these deeds of brutality and destruction may constitute war crimes as defined by the Rome Statute,” she stated, referring to the treaty that set up the Court.

Ms. Bensouda said that there is “a reasonable basis” to believe that the following crimes were committed: murder; mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; intentionally directing attacks against protected objects; the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgement pronounced by a regularly constituted court; pillaging; and rape.

“My Office will ensure a thorough and impartial investigation and will bring justice to Malian victims by investigating who are the most responsible for these alleged crimes,” she stated in a news release issued by the Court.

Located in The Hague, in the Netherlands, the ICC is an independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern – namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The four staff members travelled to the North African nation on Wednesday, 6 June, to meet with Saif Al-Islam Qadhafi in Zintan, in part as a privileged visit by the Office of Public Counsel for the Defence, currently appointed to represent Mr. Qadhafi in the case brought against him.

Mr. Qadhafi, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi, and the country’s former intelligence chief, Abdullah Al Sanousi, have been indicted by the ICC in relation to attacks against protesters and rebels during Libya’s pro-democracy uprising last year.

Council members “urge Libyan authorities at all levels and all concerned to work towards immediate release of all the ICC staff members,” the 15-member body said in a press statement.

It added that it is the legal obligation of Libya under Security Council resolution 1970, which referred the situation in Libya to the ICC last year, to cooperate fully with and provide any necessary assistance to the Court.

A delegation from the ICC, which is based in The Hague, visited the four detained staff members in Zintan on Tuesday and reported that they were in good health and treated well.

“The ICC welcomes the assistance provided by the Libyan authorities to date. The Court is very keen to address any regrettable misunderstandings on either side about the delegation’s mandate and activities during its mission in Libya,” it stated in a news release.

“The ICC expresses its strong hope that the release of the four detained persons will take place with no delay, in the spirit of the cooperation that has existed between the Court and the Libyan authorities,” it added.

The ICC is an independent, permanent court that investigates and prosecutes persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes if national authorities with jurisdiction are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely.