Same guy, Iyad Ag Ghali and not from Niger, sorry, but I heard he is there now?
Iyad ag Ghali - Wikipédia

Rumour is spreading
greenpeace magazin: Deutscher in Mali von Entführern getötet - neue Terrorgruppe

"A new Islamist terror group is possibly behind the recent kidnapping of Western foreigners in Mali, where a German was apparently killed. The terrorist group being led by former Malian diplomat and President negotiator Iyad Ag Ghali, reported the French Sunday newspaper "Le Journal du Dimanche", citing an unnamed security experts from Niamey"

Could very well be desinformation meant to discredit him!!
I saw it first on kidal.info

Mali : des otages et des barbouzes - leJDD.fr

"Northern Mali is again in the news by two almost simultaneous terrorist acts: the kidnapping of two former French mercenaries in a small hotel Hombori between Gao and Timbuktu, on the night of Wednesday, and that of three other Westerners , Timbuktu, Friday, where a fourth tourist was killed.

According to one of the best specialists in the region, speaking on condition of anonymity in Niamey, these events are linked to the creation of a new terrorist movement led by a master negotiator of Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure, Iyad Ag Ghali. This former Tuareg rebel leader became an ardent Jihadist after a parenthesis [spell] as a diplomat in Saudi Arabia. Iyad Ag Ghali, described as being ideologically close of AQIM (Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb), has benefited from the return of Libyan Tuareg fighters to form his own armed group. Designated by the Malian authorities to negotiate with AQIM hostages in several cases, he has played such a role in the recent release of three hostages Arlit in northern Niger.

A French, ex-Colonel Jean-Marc Gadoullet, 49 [aka 'the engineer; in Paris Match article], shot and wounded Wednesday in the same check-point of the army in northern Mali, would, according to this specialist, supervised the payment of a ransom for release of three hostages: the French Françoise Larribe, married to a part of Areva and two Togolese officials and Malagasy Satom Niger. The new warlord and Gadoullet, ex-action drive the service of the DGSE, became responsible for the safety of Satom Mali, have been "involved" in negotiations with Franco-Malian AQIM. These have resulted, of course, by the release of the hostages, but also by the payment of a ransom that connoisseurs say the case [raised the price] considerably.
...
While four French hostages Arlit are still held by the emir of AQIM Abu Zeid, the excolonel Gadoullet was increasingly criticized for his ambiguous role. The former soldier, who served on several continents in covert operations, had indeed developed a private security activity extremely ambitious in the Sahel since the end of 2010. Last April, he defended particularly in Niamey, the colors of Areva, a modest regional outreach project called Phoenix [or: 'proposed to the Nigerian authorities to create a militarized security company that would sell its services throughout the region, called Phoenix.']. The Nigerian authorities have foiled [declined the offer], but Gadoullet has not given up either [the idea]. In Bamako, he resumed his cap VRP private security, very active with groups of AQIM.

According to several sources French and Nigerien Gadoullet was then commissioned by France to be the interlocutor of Abu Zeid, and introduced to the Emir by Iyad Ag Ghali at the request of the President of Mali. It is established that at the end of 2010, Abu Zeid was ready to release for free the three hostages, of little value for him, two Africans and a woman. But the negotiations failed when he was about to arrive, sabotaged by the network of contacts Gadoullet. Finally, the release of three hostages in February following cost over 10 million euros, corroborating sources, Areva and Satom. The four remaining hostages are also "put a price on" the sum unheard of of 90 million euros.
...
Wednesday at a checkpoint of the Malian army, Gadoullet refused to stop. He was shot and brought back to France. The two mercenaries ['geologists'], who were employed in the 1990 and 2000 in countries where the colonel himself worked, they knew? And have they been removed [kidnapped from Hombori the day after] for this? These events are, in any case, the signal of a growing confusion in the region and a very bad move for Malian and French authorities."

(Google translate - a little messy, hope you could make some sense out of it.)
So - Gadoullet had €90M in his Landcruiser and was robbed???
And Ag Ghali is the new OBM/Qhadafi??

[clarifications in [xxx] added to original text. Ch]

My head starts spinning when trying to read up on french interests in Africa. Some links I had from Maurice Freund.
Jean-Claude Gros director for Africa Air France, Guy Delbrel writer and vice president Pointe-Afrique. Jean-Cyril Spinetta chairman Air France/KLM.
For Areva hostages, two competing negotiators - one is Guy Delbrel, the other the 'engineer' Gadoullet.
http://www.parismatch.com/Actu-Match...ateurs-351515/
Mali : Un bien étrange négociateur dans la libération des otages français - Mali / France - RFI
Otages au Sahel: un Français impliqué dans les négociations blessé au Mali - Libération
Jean-Claude Cros et Guy Delbrel | Jeuneafrique.com

Thanks for all the links to articles Priffe, it's making for some interesting reading

Mali authorities send envoys to negotiate with Lyad Aghali, others saying he has fled to the mountains from Kidal with armed men and that a rebellion is brewing.

Mali seeks talks with former Tuareg leader-sources | News by Country | Reuters

Salima Tlemcani in El Watan on the trial of Abu Jabal, suspect in the kidnappings 2003
Abou Jabal raconte les négociations autour des rançons et de l’achat d’armement - Actualité - El Watan
Lots of interesting stuff, on MBM, how they purchased guns and ammo from Malian military, not least colonel Lamana in Timbuktu (whom they later assasinated). They were offered Douchka guns, but were robbed on the way.
And the events of 2003.

Also Report de l’audience au 2 janvier 2012 - Actualité - El Watan

Since they require login to read the article now, I am copying and pasting the text here as it is most interesting, not least regarding the 2003 events:
"Born in 1972 in the town of Sidi Khaled, in Biskra, Abu Jabal, whose real name is Ammar Gharbia, joined the GIA to July 1996, after being convicted (in 1993) for supporting terrorism. This is one of his friends, Al Arkam, whose real name is Mohamed Al Amri, who offered him to join the group Kadadou Mokhtar said Abu Al Humam, emir of the GIA for the region of Sidi Khaled, in Biskra. He was transferred, with a group of new recruits to Jebel Boukhili camp where a phalanx of forty members led by Abu Al Horr (Abila Salah). Here begins his alleged involvement in numerous military operations, including fake roadblocks where thirty people were killed, stolen vehicles and 4x4 trucks, bomb attacks against security forces and ambushes against the Customs. Katiba its bigger and more than 90 elements.

In early 1998, the emir of Zone 9 to the GIA, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, brings together all the numbers in this area and installs them in the mountains. Two months later, he led a group of 25 terrorists, including Abu Jabal, to lead an ambush against elements of Antar Zouabri at Jebel Bou Saada. The "exploits" are increasing. In early 1999, he went for the first time in Niger, with 35 other terrorists led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar. The group installs camps in the north and for three months, conducts military training provided by Abu Ishak and Hicham. The stolen truck in Algeria are sold at a rate of 4 million CFA francs to a Nigerian of an Arab tribe. In July of that year, he heads for the border between Algeria and Mali and flies in Algerian territory, a 4x4 belonging to doctors. It recovers the trucks he had buried under the sand before returning to Niger. The terrorists remain there some time before Belmokhtar does not give them the order to return to Jebel Boukhili. Along the way, they commit many attacks, including the killing of four security guards of Sonatrach, which they take their arms and fly several all-terrain vehicles and trucks. Arriving in Niger, they are five items from Sidi Ali Bounab in the camp. This is the Communication Officer Ayoub, Billal Oulbani, Messaoud to El Para, Messaoud and Daoud sent to offer Belmokhtar unification of the ranks under the banner of the GSPC.

Belmokhtar and contacts with officers in Mali

In January 2000, Abu Jabal is charged with two other terrorists, Abu Ishak and Bashir, 3000 to recover the ammunition hidden units near Jbal Boukhili and give them to some Daoud, the GSPC, to be delivered to Hassan Hattab. After his joining the GSPC, Belmokhtar moves along with 16 "men", including Abu Jabal, Niger. During the trip, the group seized a truck (hidden under the sand), tires and a generator. Their arrival coincides with the preparation of the Paris-Dakar Rally. Abu Ayoub Al reached by phone Moughtareb Mohamed, a native of Ghardaia, resident in Britain. He asks the crossings of the participants in this race. But the Nigerian authorities find these and trigger a military operation. The group is forced to return home. In an ambush by Belmokhtar against smugglers of cigarettes, Abu Jabal breaks a leg. The injury did not prevent him from taking part in an ambush against seven customs. Some time later, the group returns with Belmokhtar Niger.

Transactions with the captain of the Malian army Lamana

In late 2001, Abu Jabal is charged by his boss to get in touch with the Malian officer to purchase ammunition. He moves with a $ 6 million CFA francs, on board a Toyota, with two terrorists, including Osama (an element sent by the terrorist group active in Britain) and Mohamed Sidani. The vehicle arrives in Niamey, where Osama is filed, before joining Niger-Mali border it crosses with false identity papers. Abu Jabal goes to the house of Captain Lamana (this officer was assassinated by an armed group that has invested his house in July 2009, when he was with his wife and children) in Timbuktu. He stayed there three days before speaking of the transaction for the purchase of 3,000 rounds of ammunition. The goods are transported and transferred from Mauritania to Mali. Mokhtar Belmokhtar and 12 other terrorists join the emissaries and negotiate the price, stopped at 1.5 million CFA francs. Abu Jabal returns with Sidani Mohamed, Abu Ishak and Captain Lamana traveled to Timbuktu when they stay 25 days during which they make provisions and take the opportunity to sell two trucks to 30 million francs CFA.

In this region, some of Omar Timbuktu offers Belmokhtar of heavy weapons, Doutchka, and the latter charge and Abu Ishak Abu Jabal Omar to accompany to Timbuktu to see the merchandise and buy it. Once on the scene, they are challenged by two Secret Service agents in Mali. The man named Omar intercedes. It takes two Algerians home of Captain Lamana. One of the two officers accompanying them. Once at home, the master ordered the latter to leave. After a lengthy private discussion with the captain, Omar Abu Jabal informed of the failure of the transaction for the purchase of weapons. The emissaries left Timbuktu. But along the way, they are subject to an attack and lose all their money.

43 000 rounds of ammunition purchased and transported to the Algerian border

In early 2002, the group of Abu Jabal is in northern Niger. Sidani Mohamed arrives, accompanied by a certain Abu Mohamed Imad Eddine Al Yemani, emir of Al Farouq training camp in Afghanistan. He is sent by Osama bin Laden in order to inquire the way of Islamic groups in Algeria. Ten days later, Sidani arrives with another terrorist, Abu Osama of Blida, an emissary of the terrorist group active in Britain, came to meet Hassan Hattab. Abu Jabal said that it was during this period that Belmokhtar 4 dispatch terrorists to the Mauritanian border to buy 40,000 rounds of ammunition from a Djaâfer, a Nigerian Arabic.
In 2002, the band decided to bring the goods to Djbel Boukhili, Algeria. The 43,000 pieces are loaded on three Toyota vehicles. At the border with Mali, terrorists attacked a convoy of cigarette smugglers and steal the fuel. Some of the stolen 4x4 are hidden under the sand. Loading reaches its destination and the group returns to Niger. The many 4x4 trucks and bring them stolen more than 7 million CFA francs.
Another Nigerian of an Arab tribe, Djaâfer, helps the group make contact with an arms dealer Mauritania, Mohamed Al Mauritania, he meets at the border between Mauritania and Mali. In consideration of the cargo Doutchka, the group has four vehicles Hilux. These are taken, but the weapons never delivered.

4 million euros to free German hostages

In 2003, Abu Jabal returned to Algeria with his group and took part in an ambush against a vehicle of Customs. One of the occupants was killed, another taken alive and handed over to cigarette smugglers in northern Mali. Immediately after, Abu Jabal and his companions head for the border between Mauritania and Mali to buy fuel and supplies. Lemghyti reached, they meet Abderrazak El Para, emir of Zone 5, along with 47 elements. He asks them to help secure the operation of German hostages delivered. They accept and follow up to Kidal in northern Mali. Abderrazak puts Abu Jabal and Abu Zahra (brother of Abdelhamid Abou Zeid) one of the hostages, Christian, was used for the negotiations from a Thuraya phone. Abu Jabal and his companions join the city of Sbiti followed two days later by Abderrazak El Para along with nine terrorists to negotiate with the hostage for the release of other tourists in return for a ransom. On the line, the wife of Christian that mediates. During this period, two Arabs from Niger to call Abderrazak El Para 1500 pieces of ammunition Doutchka before returning to the place where the hostages are held. In late 2003, while Abu Jabal and his companions kept the ten hostages, two Tuareg tribal leaders, Iyad Ag Ghali and Brahim Ag Bahanga (deceased), arrive at the camp and offer their services to deliver the hostages to the Malian authorities . An offer Abderrazak El Para accept in exchange for a ransom of 4 million euros. Immediately after, the governor of Gao reduces the amount required and take hostages. Abu Jabal leave with the group to the Mauritanian border to buy weapons and ammunition.

Travel to Chad and end of the run

He returned to camp Abderrazak El Para and his companions, including Abu Zeid. With the latter, he took the road to the border to deliver arms to Algeria. The group goes through Niger and a few kilometers from the border, he fell into an ambush by the PNA. It was early 2004. All vehicles are destroyed and killed many terrorists. Abu Jabal managed to abscond with some of the survivors. Abderrazak El Para 3 sends terrorists to their aid for delivery to Niger.
Arriving in Niger, Abu Jabal is 25 Nigerians recruited by Abderrazak El Para. All will spend nearly a month in northern Niger before El Para did ask them to go to Chad to buy weapons. They are 47 to start the race on board 5 Toyota, 3 of which are equipped with DCA. On their way, their Nigerian military ambush. They manage to cross the border with Chad in the direction of the mountains of Tibesti, where a Chadian military patrol shot at.
During the hanging, Abu Jabal receives impacts from grenades in the back. It folds with two Nigerians to take refuge in the mountains before being captured by the rebel Chadian Movement for Democracy and Justice (MTDJ) leading the three men to their headquarters. At the scene, they discover Abderrazak El Para with several other terrorists. Abu Jabal is immediately imprisoned along with other terrorists for three months, before being joined by another group of seven elements.
During his captivity, he received a reporter of the French channel Canal + came to do an interview. A Chadian Arabic, Sidi Larbi, now general in the ranks of the Chadian army, acted as interpreter. The interview focuses on the reasons for the group's presence in Chad, the objectives of the terrorist organization in Algeria and the relationships it has with those that activate in France. During this period, three of his companions, namely Medjahed Oued Souf, M'sila Yasser Abu Feras Mali, Abu Houdeifa, Issam Abu Djendel Nigeria and Mauritania are presented by Chadian rebels to the Libyan authorities in return for 300 000 euros and 3 Toyota. More than a month after other terrorists - Abu Abdellah Batna, Abu Bakr, a Tuareg from Mali and Nigeria-Sadik are delivered to Libya.

Salima Tlemçani"

----------
Salima link now needs log in - view here instead Ch

...discussion continued from this post in Timbuktu thread

I would take this one step further - most abductions have involved some careful research on the part of AQIM. Then, in support of the research, a tip-off is sometimes also needed to fine tune the timing of the abductions.

Some examples are:
1) Spanish taken from the tar-road in Mauri - my guess is AQIM were expecting them and were reading the blog on the internet to get the timing right
2) Italian woman from SE Alg - taken from a frequently used camping spot in SE Algeria - here a discussion with local guides prior to the abduction would have taken place - no tipoff on the day as AQIM were disappointed to only find one tourist
3) Niamey restaurant - known as a likely spot to find westerners, then additional tip off needed to give the green light that particular evening. AQIM may well have been waiting outside town for a few days prior.
4) Canadian diplomat in Niger - in this case it seems like the travel details were leaked and the abductions planned days in advance
5) Arlit Niger - planned days/weeks in advance with westerners known to be in mine compound day after day

One of the articles in today's postings show that even in 2003 AQIM (as they were later to be called) were researching the Paris-Dakar route via a mate in the UK.

Somehow a daylight abduction from T'tou does not surprise me greatly. It may even be easier to get away during daylight hours. All the AQIM needed to do was to make sure that there were no choppers nearby that could chase them. They would have known about those odds.

It was expected that AQIM would have an enhanced ability to defend their HQ given the SAMs taken from Libya. Perhaps these recent attacks show that AQIM is more confident in defending their camps from choppers with their newly acquired kit from Libya.

I wouldn't plan a Saharan trip at the moment, but if I were intending to go, then I would still not expect to be abducted if following an usual route with unpredictable timings of departure/arrival in towns and, of course, keeping those visits to a minimum. I reckon the safest trip is in one or two western cars in Algeria with one guide who does not have a satellite phone. That way the visitor can control the route and timings sufficiently to keep things unpredictable. And with no sat phone in the guide's hands, updates beyond the party will not be easily made. As I have said before, the chances of getting taken on a trip like this are still quite low. The problem now is that there is too much upheaval in the previously established chains of negotiation which are necessary for safe release. It is because of the latter that I would stay clear as the prospect of time in detention annuls any enjoyment one might derive from the trip in the first place.

Chris - do you mean the pact not to take tourists from Mali which was supposed to have been established in 2003? If so, what kind of government would let bandits stage a dozen or more raids on westerners and let them be holed up on that government's territory for months on end? Unless the government stood to gain by a slice of the ransom money? There are plenty of examples of the Mauri army trying to sort things out. What has Mali done? And it is on their patch.

My reading is that we are seeing an expansion of AQIM confidence in the region. They haven't been troubled much since they settled down in 2003 and have meanwhile had several successful abductions. They are better equipped than ever and are not concerned about what Mali thinks. In short, the pact if there were one, is history. AQIM feel in charge of the desert.

My purely speculative take is something like this: the Malian state gave away the country north of the river a long time ago. Too big, too expensive, too dangerous at times and nothing there apart from a salt, sand and the lands of the despised Tuareg to the NE (a parallel with Niger). In between rebellions some of the Kel Ifoghas may have been engaged in their own innocuous contrabanding - doubtless as across many remote borders RTW where the price of commodities is so disparate. Then the GSPC (later AQIM) moved in and upset things with their kidnappings, etc.

Don't know how the Taounenni Basin oil thing fits in, but you'd think it would be critical the way things are, or will be in times to come.

The local pact, if there was one, was between Timbuktu Tuareg (Kel Ansar) to have their tourist opportunities (music festival, etc) left undisturbed while the storm raged all around and the commercants in town got on with business, legit or otherwise, possibly with Tuareg guiding, GSPC protection or whatever.

Elements of the Algerian, Malian and Moroccan states (most probably generals and minsters) are in on it - that is how it prevails to this day. I dont suppose it's so different from many other countries (Egypt, Pakistan, former Ghaddafi clan) and now we are told (IIUC) some French DGSE bloke wanted his bite [of the €90m ransom]!

Mori seem not to be signed up - or have their own thing going. And I think stakes have been raised still higher in recent years by the much greater quantity of South America cocaine landing in Africa via Bissau (govt on the take) and so on. High demand and lots more easy money to be made per kilo than with cigs, refugees or arms.

Only partly revelant, but I thought this quote here by Hugh Roberts summed it up well:

It's all about trade, money, survival and vested interests of the few; be it funding the GSPC jihad up in Kabylia, Polisario aspirations, France's access to cheap uranium, or the governor's new palace and a Paris education/shopping for his kids.

Could all be rubbish, of course!

Ch

PS: 'My dear compatriots'
Mali president ATT's appeal (2 days ago) following Hombori and Timbuktu events:

Google Translate

__________________
Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

Fascinating article that Salima Tlemcani one.
Paints a whole knew picture of the busy prelude to 2003.

Who knows if it may have the hand of the Alg DRS, but if nothing else, I recognise the name of the hostage, Christian. We met him and two other bikers in Tam a week or two before they got grabbed.

Ch

__________________
Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

Great articles guys keep them coming.

William Hague reckons the UK is co-funding a militray base on the Alg-Mali border....any more news on this?

EU police, experts to counter al Qaeda in Africa-UK | News by Country | Reuters

Yah, it is really interesting to get the inside story, isn't it?
The lifestyle - robbing anyone who gets in their way, like cigarrette smugglers or douaniers, taking their fuel/cargo/vehicles, sometimes shooting one or a few if they don't behave. Hiding cars in the sand, selling them to arab traders anywhere between mauri border and niger. Sounds like a good part of their business used to be stolen vehicles.
You won't expect to read anything involving alg military or the DRS from the trial, but there is a struggle from the defenders and perhaps the judges to get El Para to appear before the court - for the legal process it is of course an outrage that they wont let one of the leaders appear.

And this is the first time we get first-hand accounts of what the malian military has been up to, right? There was always rumours. Selling anti-aircraft guns and ammo to the very people they're supposed to fight? And then setting them up to be robbed? That colonel Lamana really had it coming.

Snapped up message where a touareg says he was asked by a friend to go kidnapping a french road engineer working for Satom.
http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/Explo4x4/message/58863
Also that his village was attacked and the government has put the lid on.
I've heard Kidal touaregs saying that their real anger is aimed at France.

El Khabar - The three kidnapping outfits of Abou Zeid
The three kidnapping branches of Aqim. Rather, two of them under AZ and one under MBM.

WARNING OF IMMINENT KIDNAPPING THREATS IN MAURETANIA, BURKINA, NIGERIA.
This based on information gathered from arrested suspects in Algeria, concerning cells esp. in Mauretania.

Security strengthened in the south
http://fr.elkhabar.com/?Renforcement...a-securite-des

"El Khabar has learned from informed sources that the staff of the army and the command of the gendarmerie had sent a letter to their commands to Illizi and Tamanrasset in the adoption of a new military strategy to secure movement of foreign nationals on the axes and roads and tourist sites of the two regions mentioned, following the spate of abductions of foreigners by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. Our sources indicated that the ground and aerial surveillance has been strengthened in some areas and difficult routes of the Sahara, and the strengthening of security units and intervention of the national police and the security of tourist spots. And travel groups and exit of tourists especially in the region of Djanet and there are many activities and tourist or tourists stay longer, same for the regions' Timiaouine "and Beja Bordj Mokhtar, on the border between the wilaya of Adrar and Tamanrasset, and the regions of Ain Guezzam, Tin Zouatene on the border with Mali and Niger."
Very well, if only they could now do something more pro-active in N Mali.

http://af.reuters.com/article/algeri...111128?sp=true
"We are stepping up our efforts to counter terrorism in the Sahel region and to support economic and political development," said Hague, who last month became the first British minister to visit Mauritania.

Britain is working with France and other European allies to develop an effective EU approach to security and development in the Sahel, he said.

Plans were at an early stage for a small EU mission in the Sahel region, focusing on policing, security, infrastructure development and regional training, he said
Hague said that Britain was co-funding a military and police base on the Mali-Algerian border as well as emergency planning training in Mali and Niger.

"We are also working closely with Nigeria to combat the threat of terrorism," he said."

The paradox of the Algerian passivity is that it leads to an increased European presence, which is exactly what they do not want.
"On the Mali-Algerian border" - where would that be? Ikhlil?
One result of the increasing problems is that finally something may happen. We hope.

Deux terroristes arrêtés en Algérie avouent "l'imminence" d'autres enlèvements au Sahel - Monde - Nouvelobs.com
"Other kidnappings were "imminent" in the Sahel, according to the confessions of two terrorists of Algerian nationality, arrested a week ago by the Algerian security services as part of their investigation into the abduction of three humanitarian European (two Spanish and one Italian) on October 23 in the Sahrawi refugee camp in Tindouf Rabouni.

The Arabic daily Al Khabar, citing the Algerian security services, reported Tuesday that information.

The security services have succeeded in dismantling the group, composed of 11 members, including the two authors of the confession, which provided assistance and information to the kidnappers of the three European humanitarian, says this source.

Still according to the confessions of two men arrested, the increase in kidnappings of foreigners in the Sahel in recent times is due to "fierce competition between the three cells of abduction" set up by the bloody Emir Abou Zeid, head a brigade of AQIM in southern Algeria.

This is the first of these cells, composed of Algerians and whose leader is called Mohamed Jaber, who is behind the last three kidnappings in the Sahel, while the second cell, run by Mauritanians, is preparing it to commit other hostage, said "Al Khabar", always citing the Algerian services.

The newspaper said the second cell "Mauritania", led by a certain Haji Abu Gharbi, a trained engineer and polyglot, would be responsible for kidnappings in the Sahel and northern Mali.

The third cell is composed of such elements not directly related to Al Qaeda and its activities are coordinated by the emir of southern Algerian Mokhtar Ben Mokhtar. It was she who had taken the special envoy of UN Secretary General to Niger Robert Fowler, AQIM hostage for several months before his release in April 2009. AP"

Doesn't make total sense, but FWIW.

Full story here.

__________________
Morocco Overland 4 pre-order for Xmas • Trans Morocco Trail

Mauretania taking hard line stance at the meeting of 10 defence ministers in Nouakchott
AFP: Don't pay ransom for Qaeda hostages, says Mauritania

Are some people worth more than others?
Pour la France, certains otages d'Aqmi valent plus que d'autres | Rue89
Delory's sister accuses France: the two kidnapped were sacrificed
Les deux otages tués au Niger ont-ils été sacrifiés par la France*? | Rue89
French organisation for victims of terrorism
Association francaise