Priffe- my sympathies for the Italian woman and the people of Djanet who, as you say, will be hard hit by this.

By local knowledge I did not necessarily mean insiders leaking info from the tourism sector. I meant that AQIM might well have sent someone in to town to see what was going on - what the opportunities were. Otherwise how will 14 guys pitching up from NE Mali, some from Mauri originally, know the lay of the land? That said, I am aware that not everyone in Djanet appreciates tourism.

Ennahar Online - AQIM reopen negotiations, expert Mohamed Mokeddem says

According to 'Malian sources close to the affairs', a ransom was paid.

one year + and no word?

The last news here in Italy report that our Foreign Office came to know that most probably (they are almost sure, I mean) she's held prisoner in Mali by local bandits, not by an Al-Qaeda group.
No ransom has been required, and this makes a contact with the kidnappers more difficult, they say.
Somehow, at present day, the family and our authorities have no news about her situation, she's completely disappeared.

Here Italiana rapita in Algeria - CRONACA is the article: it's in Italian, but you can use Google translator to have an idea of what they say (I resumed the entire page in 4 lines :-)

Hard to tell the difference these days. If there is any.

This was on record in May last year:

"On 18 February, the Italian tourist, Sandra Maria Mariani, 53, kidnapped in south-east of Algeria, had indicated being alive and in the hands of AQIM, in an audiotape broadcast by the television channel Al- Arabiya based in Dubai.
Italian officials now roam the Sahel countries to seek support from regional governments to secure her release, sources said.

According to these sources, she is detained by the combat unit (katiba) of AQIM led by Abu Zeid, a leader of the organization considered a radical."
Ennahar Online - New proof of life of the Italian kidnapped in Algeria

What was odd about this case was that AQIM did not release their usual statement and photo. She is the only women to have been kidnapped on her own.

But it is also true of the last year or so is that governments and foreign affairs departments in particular now know that no-publicity is good for the person who has been kidnapped. The less that is in the media the better. The greater the fuss in the media, the larger the ransom.

and, I think, an audio message from her:
messaggio audio maria sandra mariani.wmv - YouTube
In Italian.

Another Italian woman (so, not the one we are talking about in this topic) that was held prisoner by Al-Qaeda after being kidnapped in Algeria has been released today.

Italian breaking news:
Rossella Urru liberata in Mali "Scambio con militante di Al Qaeda"- LASTAMPA.it


The main title says:

Rossella Urru released in Mali.
"Exchanged for an Al-Qaeda jailed member".

Along with her, the terrorists have released also Al Ould al-Mukhtar, a Mauri policeman that was kidnapped during an operation of Al-Qaeda in southern Mauritania some months ago.

Rossella Urru was one of the NGO workers kidnapped in Tindouf last October.

And coincidentally (I presume), the splinter group which grabbed them from Rabouni are said to be behind today's suicide bombing in Tam, according to the article below.

Al Qaeda offshoot launches strike on Algerian military base - ALGERIA - FRANCE 24

Mauritanians denied now that Rossella Urru has been released.

She's still prisoner in terrorists' hands.. :(

Italian Female Released
 

According to Reuters:

UPDATE 2-Italian kidnapped in Algeria freed after 14 months | News by Country | Reuters

https://lissnup.wordpress.com/2012/0...hostage-freed/

She looks ok. After 14 months!

If a ransom was paid, which is more than likely, then the beards have another €3M to buy weapons and train more kidnappers. And so, Europe is funding their business.
Meanwhile, MNLA is running out of funds. They have said they need to re-organize before they can take on Aqim - will take months, or even years.
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