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French tourist and Algerian driver kidnapped in Niger
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Mali border guards on alert after Niger kidnappings | News by Country | Reuters
Quote: "It is a no-man's land. It is a smuggling zone. People know that you shouldn't be passing through there," he said, asking not to be named. Hopefuly they find him quickly, but jeez that's a pretty porous border region there between Niger/Mali. Do you think he was grabbed to make a statement against the new command centre in Tamanrasset? Either way, its less than 200kms from Agadez there. :thumbdown: |
Ennahar Online - A French and an Algerian kidnapped in Niger
This article suggests the kidnapping took place at In-Abangharit rather than Tegguidda-n-Tessoum as BBC were stating (Approx 70kms further north west). Ennahar also suggesting "Taleb Abdoulkrim is the nickname of the leader of a group calling itself Al-Qaeda operating in the region, but which had hitherto never made hostage" |
AQIM in the desert of NE Mali will certainly be up to date on the latest security strategies out of Tam. Taking more hostages at this stage ups the ante somewhat. One has to hope that human shields are not their motive this time.
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This area west of Agadez towards Mali border has long been known to be dodgy.
I'd be very surprised if a genuine tourist wandered in there - and with an Algerian driver? You'd almost think they want to get caught. I think it may be a while before anyone can get too worried about the new command centre in Tam. It's a positive step, but possibly intended to appease Africom? We've been hearing of co-operation for years. Ch |
UPDATE 1-Mali border guards on alert after Niger kidnappings | News by Country | Reuters
"A Nigerien military officer, who asked not to be named, said that Niamey believed the kidnappers had already crossed the border despite Mali's efforts to cut them off. "We think they are somewhere in the Azaouagh strip," he said, referring to a valley in Mali's remote north". |
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Ennahar:
"The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat kidnapped late last week the French Michel Germaneau, born in 1932, retired and president of an association that operates in an area north of Niger, populated mostly by Algerian residents of Niger. The second hostage, named Ouaghi Abidin, an Algerian of 39, married and father of three children, from Tamanrasset. The two hostages were abducted at 190 km from In Guezzam in the province of Tamanrasset while they were on board an all terrain vehicle." Why on earth would they kidnap a tuareg from Tamanrasset? And if they're after money, a 78 year old Frenchman doesn't sound like a good choice. Article suggests they were kidnapped in Algeria. 190 kms from IGZ would be near the Alg-Mali-Niger corner. http://www.ennaharonline.com/en/thum...article_medium |
As often, Ennahar is confusing - or just not so well translated.
What does "an area north of Niger, populated mostly by Algerian residents of Niger" mean? Possibly nomad refugee camps around in In Guezzam which were established in the 1990s and with which Michel Germaneau may have been involved? In that case it may all work well for him in regards of support from local Tuaregs. Article suggests they were kidnapped in Algeria.... Actually the top of the article says "kidnapped by the Salafist group GSPC in Niger...". The well mentioned - In-Abangharit - is about 190km south of IGZ. I think that's where it happened, not Algeria. You do wonder if a tip-off might have been passed at Assamaka a couple of hours north of In-Abangharit. As others have commented, it will be interesting to see how Alg reacts to the situation. It's not a great time of year to be kidnapped, especially if you're 78. Let's hope the new Tam command centre springs into action. Ch |
The question in which country the presumed abduction took place may be moot (these borders are after all only lines drawn on a paper by strangers long ago...ask any tuareg..:)).
Permit me to think that it could be a case of robbery or car theft or something else until the abductors present their claims. If they are indeed kidnappers, don't they seem amateurish when the catch is a 78 yr old French whom they will struggle to keep alive in the brousse over the summer months, plus a touareg from Tam who will generate exactly zero dinars from the Algerians (unless he comes from a very wealthy family)? But possibly he will generate more interest from the Algerian military. |
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Azaouagh
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If anyone's interested, according to my 953 this 'Azaouagh' that gets mentioned is a river course that flows SW via In Abagharit over the border towards Menaka and back into Niger and Niamey.
This area west of Agadez has long been known as Azaouagh on maps, a Tuareg homeland, but rarely visited by tourists, even in the good years. Never been there but I wouldn't say it's "a particularly difficult access", terrain wise. I believe it was around here that those Saudis got attacked a few weeks back. But possibly he will generate more interest from the Algerian military. I think it will. It may be the excuse they want. He may 'only' be a Tuareg but they are not so ill thought of by the Alg state as they are by Niger and Mali. Ch |
Algerian Driver of French Hostage Freed
Good news, suggesting the hostage takers are wary of upsetting the tuaregs.
Ennahar Online - The Algerian hostage kidnapped in Niger released |
Wasn't sure whether to believe Ennahar but it's on the BBC now (via Reuters and probably all other media outlets, maybe even Fox too ;-).
BBC News - Kidnapped Algerian driver 'is released in Mali' Ch |
So looking at the map it looks likely that he was probably held in the Kidal area.
Kidal is almost in a straight line across the Sahara to where An-abangharit is located (point of capture), then 'found in the north Mali desert', but taken to the Tin-Zawatine border by those that found him (a piste connects Kidal to Tin-Zawatine). Hoping for some good news on the Frenchman. |
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Aqim demands release of prisoners
Al Qaeda claims kidnap of French man in Niger: TV | Top News | Reuters
Al Qaeda claims kidnap of French man in Niger: TV Thu May 6, 2010 1:49am DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's North Africa wing claimed responsibility for kidnapping a French man last month in northern Niger, Al Jazeera television said on Thursday, citing a statement by the militant group's North Africa wing. "The group said its members managed to kidnap engineer Michel Germano in the north of Niger on the 22nd of the previous month," Al Jazeera said. "The group asked France, and those whom it called its allies in the region, to release its jailed members." On April 22, a Niger military source said a French tourist and his Algerian driver were kidnapped in northern Niger, near the West African country's border with Mali and Algeria. The seizure is the latest in a string of attacks in the vast desert region, where governments have little presence and a collection of bandits, former rebels, smugglers and groups linked to al Qaeda operate. Al Qaeda in the Islamist Maghreb (AQIM) said in the statement the retired French engineer worked in the Algerian oil sector and headed an association in Niger, Al Jazeera said. |
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The Audio-File: germdivx.avi - 9245 KB - in 15 minutes - sorry, ISDN only for upload. - Done :walkman: And the original statement: http://www.desert-info.ch/download/p...-Germaneau.jpg Ulrich |
Niger jails Algerian driver of kidnapped Frenchman:
Niger jails driver of French hostage - source | News by Country | Reuters |
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Al-Qaida group says it abducted Frenchman in Niger
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Mauritania’s defence minister ruled out freeing Al-Qaeda prisoners in return for Western hostages held in his country in an interview with AFP Wednesday.
"We won’t free any terrorist. It is a matter of principle. This would jeopardise the security of our country and our people," Hamadi Ould Baba Ould Hamadi said. Mauritania won't free Qaeda prisoners for hostages - Temoust.org | Le portail du peuple touareg berbère Kel Tamasheq |
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