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Murders of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland

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Murders of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland
File:Louisa Vesterager Jespersen.jpg
Louisa Vesterager Jespersen
DateDecember 17, 2018 (bodies discovered)
LocationFoothills of Mount Toubkal, close to the village of Imlil, Morocco[1]
Attack typeMelee attack
VictimsLouisa Vesterager Jespersen (born 5 December 1994)[2], Denmark
Maren Ueland (born 23 November 1990), Norway
Cause of deathsKnife wounds; beheading[3]
Motive

On 17 December 2018, the bodies of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, a 24-year-old Danish woman, and Maren Ueland, a 28-year-old Norwegian woman, were found decapitated in the foothills of Mount Toubkal near to the village of Imlil in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. [5][3]

A total of 18 men have been arrested by Moroccan Police in relation to the murders. The murders have been described as a terrorist act by the Moroccan general prosecutor after a video of some of the suspects swearing allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant was released on the Internet.[6][7]

Background

See also: Islamic terrorism § Morocco, and Islam in Morocco

Louisa Vesterager Jespersen (born 1994) and Maren Ueland (born 1990) were students at the University of South-Eastern Norway, where they studied outdoor recreation and nature guidance. The pair had arrived in Morocco on 9 December as tourists with the intention of trekking and "chasing experiences", according to Jespersen's mother.[7] The two women first arrived in Marrakesh before travelling to Imlil in the Atlas Mountains. The village of Imlil is popular with travellers as the main base for summiting Toubkal, which is the highest peak in North Africa.[5]

Four attackers had shared a video on social media before the attacks, pledging allegiance to the ISIS terror group and talked about "destruction caused by the warplanes of the Crusader alliance". One of the attacker says "Keep fighting the enemies of Allah, wherever you are, you have no excuse and, be informed that we are your supporters... you have allies among us."[8]

According to Swedish Defence University researcher Magnus Ranstorp, terrorists attacking tourists is not a new phenomenon and it aims to destabilise the country where such attacks take place.[7]

While Morocco is generally seen as a secure destination for tourists as the last terrorist attack happened in 2011 where 17 people were killed by bomb at a restaurant in Marrakesh, over 1600 people have travelled from Morocco to join the Islamic State in the Syrian Civil War. Moroccan authorities initially ignored the people who joined ISIS but later on realised they could return to commit terrorist offences in Morocco. As a result, the Bureau Central d'Investigations Judiciaires (BCIJ) was formed.[9]

According to a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, Moroccan authorities appear to have a good grip on the jihadist situation and cooperates with European and US authorities. Moroccans are overrepresented in "diaspora terrorism", that is terrorism which takes place outside the borders of Morocco. For example, two Moroccans were behind the 2017 London Bridge attack and a Moroccan killed people by driving his van into pedestrians in La Rambla in the 2017 Barcelona terrorist attacks, and a day after another Moroccan killed two women in the 2017 Turku attack.[9]

Murders and investigation

The village of Imlil and the surrounding valley

On the morning of 17 December, a pair of French hikers came across the bodies of the victims and their tent near a trail connecting Imlil to Mount Toubkal.[10] A suspect named Abderrahim Khayali was quickly apprehended following the incident after police found a forgotten ID in the tent they had left behind. They were also filmed on CCTV in the area.[11] Three additional suspects, Abdessamad Ejjoud, Rachid Afatti and Younes Ouaziyad, were later apprehended by the police while riding a bus during the morning rush hour in the nearby city of Marrakesh. The three suspects were caught in possession of bladed weapons. Abdessamad Ejjoud is assumed to be the leader of the group, and the four men shot a video the week before the murders where they pledged allegiance to ISIS.[12]

The killers had agreed to carry out a terrorist act on either security services or foreign tourists, before deciding to travel to the Imlil region to look for foreigners and where they would target the two backpackers.[13] In the video of the killings, the attackers can be heard shouting "enemies of Allah" and "revenge for our brothers in Hajin".[14]

Moroccan police later made additional arrests of individuals believed to have connections with the suspects.[6]

The remains of the victims were flown to Copenhagen 21 December 2018.[15] Jespersen's funeral was held in Ikast, Denmark on January 12, and Ueland's is set for January 21 in Norway.[16]

Aftermath

In Morocco news of the attack was met with widespread outrage and condemnation. The incident received extensive coverage in the international press. Reactions in the native countries of the victims were of shock and outrage. A public torchlit vigil was held in Ms Ueland's native town of Bryne in support of her family and loved ones.[15]

Vigils for the victims were held in Rabat at the embassies of Norway and Denmark, along with vigils in Marrakesh and Imlil.[17]

Two videos: one depicting the murder and another where the suspects video themselves swearing allegiance to ISIS were published onto social media. Moroccan authorities and Norway's National Criminal Investigation Service agents have said the videos are authentic.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Suspect held after Scandinavian tourists killed in Moroccan mountains". Agence France-Presse in Rabat. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018 – via The Guardian.
  2. ^ "Louisa Vesterager Jespersen". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b Altaher, Nada; Picheta, Rob (21 December 2018). "Arrests made after two tourists beheaded in Morocco". CNN. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  4. ^ https://www.dailywire.com/news/39651/report-terrorists-who-murdered-scandinavian-women-hank-berrien Alleged Video of Scandinavian Tourist Murders in Morocco Goes Viral]
  5. ^ a b "Scandinavian student murders: nine more arrested in Morocco". Agence France-Presse in Rabat. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018 – via The Guardian.
  6. ^ a b c "Video allegedly shows university students' murders in Morocco". CBS News. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  7. ^ a b c Thykier, Michael; Haislund, Jacob (20 December 2018). "Islamisk Stat i søgelyset efter drab på to veninder". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  8. ^ Moroccan four 'pledged allegiance to ISIS' in chilling video days before backpacker murders
  9. ^ a b Plesner, Eva (20 December 2018). "Mindst 1.600 marokkanere sluttede sig til IS: Nu har Marokko et problem med "hellige krigere"". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 2018-12-23.
  10. ^ Skjetne, Oda Leraan; Mikalsen, Helge; Sandnes, Ådne Husby; Haram, Ola (19 December 2018). "De fant Maren og Louisa drept: – Det var forferdelig". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  11. ^ "Morocco murders - Predators 'motivated by rape' butchered female backpackers after 'stalking' them up Atlas mountains". The Sun. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  12. ^ 'Mastermind' of backpacker beheadings arrested, Moroccan officials say
  13. ^ What ‘lone wolf’ gang did before Scandinavian tourist beheadings
  14. ^ Morocco murders: agents investigate footage as terror fears mount
  15. ^ a b Skodje, Marte (21 December 2018). "Marens familie takker for støtten". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2018-12-23.
  16. ^ Danish woman Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, murdered in Morocco, mourned by hundreds at funeral (News.com.au)
  17. ^ "Morocco vigils for murdered Scandinavians". BBC News. 22 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-23.

External Links

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