A young French campaigner, who set up an association to help victims of drugs violence and took their cause to President Emmanuel Macron, has lost a second brother to suspected criminal gangs in Marseille.
Amine Kessaci's 20-year-old brother Mehdi was parking his car in the centre of the city, when a motorcycle drew up and the pillion passenger opened fire with a 9mm pistol.
Their elder brother, Brahim, was murdered in 2020, shot and found in a burned-out car, a method known as a barbecue in local gang killings.
Marseille is renowned for worsening drugs wars, with rival gangs competing for territory, especially in high-immigration neighborhoods in the north of the city.
While Brahim was implicated with drugs gangs, investigators indicate that Mehdi had ambitions of becoming a policeman, raising fears that his murder was a warning aimed at Amine.
Marseille chief prosecutor Nicolas Bessone stated, That hypothesis is absolutely not being ruled out... it brings back certain terrible periods in our country's history, when you went out and killed people simply because they were from a family with whom you had problems.
After his elder brother's murder, Amine established the association Conscience, focusing on helping young people escape the grip of powerful drugs gangs. At just 22 and living under police protection due to death threats, Amine's efforts highlight the ongoing battle against escalating drug violence in Marseille.
It's just so sad for my friend and for his mother, expressed Christine Juste, a Green Party city councillor. She emphasized the heartbreak of losing two children, noting the ease of murders happening in broad daylight in France's second city.
With 14 drug-related murders reported this year alone, the cycle of revenge is rampant, involving individuals as young as 15. Amine's group not only provides advice for families affected by drug violence but also works to create job connections for ex-delinquents.
Through perseverance, Amine was able to meet President Macron in 2021, discussing projects aimed at improving conditions in his community. He articulated his political engagement as a direct response to the tragic loss of his brothers, stating, Politics never held out its hand to me, so I decided to grab it by the throat. Brahim – it was you who threw me into politics the day you burned in a car.
