The body of Aboubakar Cissé, a 22 -year -old Malian killed in a mosque in the south of France, was repatriated to his country of origin for “a last tribute,” the Malian Ministry of Religious Affairs on Facebook announced on Thursday.
The young Malian was killed dozens of stab wounds on April 25 during his prayer by a 20 -year -old Frenchman who went to a police station in Italy after a three -day flight.
“It is in an atmosphere full of emotion and meditation that the body of Aboubakar Cissé was welcomed this morning around 02:00 at the International Airport Modibo-Keïta-Sénou” of the Malian capital Bamako, specifies the message of the ministry.
“Aboubacar Cissé leaves behind the memory of a man committed and respected. The whole country bows to his memory,” added the ministry.
“Several authorities, relatives and family members were present to pay a final tribute to this worthy son of the country,” added the message, adding that the Minister of Religious Affairs and his counterpart of the Malians established outside were present.
The body was then transported under escort to its family home for funeral rites, specifies the message.
A religious ceremony was to take place in the morning.
Olivier Hadzovic, the murderer of Aboubakar Cissé, acted “in an isolated context”, guided by an “obsessive desire to kill” that he had largely shared on social networks, said the prosecutor of Nîmes (south of France).
In his first statements to Italian investigators, the young man recognized the murder of Aboubakar Cissé but denied having acted by hatred of Islam, indicating, according to his lawyer, “having killed the first person he found” on his way.
