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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

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Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #676  
Old 13 Aug 2019
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An interesting article about Operation Barkhane, with some good pictures:

https://widerimage.reuters.com/story...s-mud-mistrust

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  #677  
Old 16 Aug 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Scott View Post
Thanks for originally posting.
Don't know if I mentioned it here before but a while back I copied some Motorrad (German moto mag) articles from 2004 by Rainer Bracht (who we met two-weeks before he was grabbed with 3 others we also met). He wrote a book on the ordeal (not read it).
I see now the original Motorrad files are long gone*, but I copied the Google translations and a few pics into a post which make interesting reading.

* Actually, found them again
"Ich frage mich häufig, auf welcher Seite die Algerier eigentlich stehen."

Perhaps Rainer was on to something there.
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  #678  
Old 16 Aug 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Scott View Post
Thanks for originally posting.
I sent you a PM suggesting how to do it better next time ;-)
[/URL]
Well, there was no next time. Until now.

Worth adding, I believe this is by far the most viewed thread on the regional forums, and one of the most viewed on the entire HUBB.
It tracked the demise of desert travel in the Sahara with many insightful comments and reporting from the ground, spiced with some speculation.
Obviously it had something to offer. And the owners should enjoy the traffic, no?
But someones feelings was hurt.
And then there was the police.
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  #679  
Old 6 Sep 2019
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Hi everybody,

Is there any update on the Italian and Canadian believed to have been taken from Burkina Faso into Mali? It's been quite some time now.

https://globalnews.ca/news/5164504/q...faso-minister/
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  #680  
Old 12 Sep 2019
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One reason Burkina was stable was Compaorés ability to handle and deal with Al Qaeda and other adversaries. His aid since decades (going back all the way to Sankara!) the mauretanian Limam Ould Chafi was instrumental, and himself made millions from the kidnappings.
https://medium.com/@Algerie_Infos/ex...fi-d6658e39e95

Now Compaoré is bored in Abidjan.
https://www.theafricareport.com/1693...homesick-blues
Chafi is still by his side.

Perhaps Burkina will not be stable until Compaoré either returns or is out of business.

Last edited by priffe; 13 Sep 2019 at 14:03.
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  #681  
Old 12 Sep 2019
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Good articles thanks for sharing Priffe!
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  #682  
Old 1 Oct 2019
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The expected next expansion of islamist groups is into Ghana, CIV, Togo and Benin

https://www.theafricareport.com/1784...s-in-the-sahel
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  #683  
Old 13 Nov 2019
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A long but interesting report about the various groups involved in the gold mining trade across the region. Not sure how accurate it all is but makes for a good read:

https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/s...8994-359971337
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  #684  
Old 18 Dec 2019
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Burkina speaks up about the leadership of the various terrorist groups:

https://infowakat.net/securite-la-pl...erm=2019-12-18
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  #685  
Old 20 Dec 2019
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Interesting article here about arms trafficking in West Africa:

http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/filea...Connection.pdf
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  #686  
Old 27 Feb 2020
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How do you become a jihadist? Iyad Ag Ghali, the untouchable. A refugee in southern Algeria, especially towards the town of Tinzawaten where he would own a house, the man regularly sailed through the dunes to the town of Abeybara from which he is originally from Mali.

https://www.nordsudjournal.com/comme...-lintouchable/
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  #687  
Old 14 Mar 2020
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https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ma...-idUKKBN2110HN

As we know this has become Sahel more than Sahara issue, but they were released near Kidal.

10 foreigners from 9 countries still in captivity.
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  #688  
Old 16 Mar 2020
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Scott View Post
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ma...-idUKKBN2110HN

As we know this has become Sahel more than Sahara issue, but they were released near Kidal.

10 foreigners from 9 countries still in captivity.
Strange how they just disappeared and nothing was heard from them or about them, until they were suddenly released.
Were they even kidnapped?
They look to be unperturbed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGXAq4eVyyQ
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  #689  
Old 7 Apr 2020
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Urgent / Sahel: two Italian hostages detained in northern Mali give sign of life

https://airinfoagadez.com/2020/04/06...-signe-de-vie/
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  #690  
Old 8 Apr 2020
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The 2nd Hostage

https://airinfoagadez.com/2020/04/07...ec-pier-luigi/

It appears the second hostage is an Italian, Nicola Chiacchio - a cyclist who went missing in Mali in September 2018, I think it was.

I remember putting up or reading an alert here and was quickly told to take it down by another HUBB user as that was how his family wished to play it.
Looks like it succeeded. His fate has been unknown until now and I assumed he'd been robbed and was buried in the desert somewhere.

I also recall a picture of his yellow recumbent of something similar which would have been a struggle to propel on the sandy piste it was pictured on, let alone the time of year. And heading for Timbuktu seemed nuts, whichever way you looked at it.

As the article above explains, he was determined to get there and set off from Douentza, having signed his way past a checkpoint.

Last edited by Chris Scott; 10 Apr 2020 at 09:04.
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LinkBacks (?)
LinkBack to this Thread: https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/north-africa/islamist-activity-sahara-relation-travel-49806
Posted By For Type Date
Sahariens • Consulter le sujet - Plutot des bonnes nlles d'Algérie This thread Refback 24 Mar 2019 15:34
Kidnappings | Sahara Overland This thread Refback 27 Feb 2015 12:11
Alex Thurston | Sahel Blog This thread Refback 24 May 2013 08:10
Early Perspectives on the Mali Crisis from a Jihadist Forum (II) | The Moor Next Door This thread Refback 16 Apr 2013 11:10
Laatste nieuws over Mali / Timbouctou / Gao- This thread Refback 28 May 2012 13:09
Sahara Overland ~ book reviews This thread Refback 30 Mar 2012 18:28
Sahara Overland ~ News Archive 2008 This thread Refback 12 Feb 2011 20:29
Sahara Overland News This thread Refback 28 Jul 2010 21:00
Fight against al qaeda in the maghreb - Page 2 - The HUBB This thread Refback 23 May 2010 01:10

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