A young French anti-drugs campaigner, Amine Kessaci, has lost a second brother, Mehdi, who was fatally shot in Marseille, suspected to be connected to criminal gang activity. This incident follows the 2020 murder of Amine’s older brother, Brahim Kessaci, whose body was discovered in a burned car—a method often associated with gang-related violence.
Amine, who was a high school student at the time of Brahim’s death, founded an association called Conscience. This organization focuses on assisting young people in impoverished neighborhoods of Marseille in avoiding the influence of drug gangs. Mehdi, age 20, was reportedly parking his vehicle in central Marseille when he was attacked by gunfire from a motorcycle. While Brahim had ties to gang activities, investigators note that Mehdi did not; he aspired to become a police officer.
Authorities are looking into the possibility that Mehdi’s murder could be a warning directed at Amine. Marseille’s chief prosecutor, Nicolas Bessone, indicated that they are not dismissing this theory. He expressed concern over the implications should this hypothesis prove true, suggesting it would represent a troubling escalation in violence.
Amine Kessaci, who has previously faced death threats and is currently under police protection, has made attempts to bring attention to drug-related violence. He ran for the Green Party in the previous European and legislative elections and authored a book entitled Marseille Wipe Your Tears – Life and Death in a Land of Drugs. His organization also exists in other locations, helping families affected by drug violence and facilitating connections between former offenders and job opportunities.
The trend of drug-related violence in Marseille is alarming, with 14 drug-related murders reported this year alone. Rival gangs are commonly involved in these conflicts, often leading to continuous cycles of revenge killings.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7v846p9nd1o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss