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Three Kidnapped and one dead in Timbuktu Three Kidnapped and one dead in Timbuktu
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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #1  
Old 28 Nov 2011
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if you can be kidnapped sitting in a restaurant in a city in broad daylight, then what?
And that is what's so startling about the Timbuktu attack, that they were able to get in and out again in broad daylight. The charge of complicity is a bit hard to avoid, isn't it? Unfortunate as that is, it feels like somebody allowed this to happen either voluntarily or under duress.

Or do people think that's unreasonable? Could a strange vehicle drive straight to the Amanar (it is conveniently right on the northwest edge of town) grab the victims who just happened to be there at the right time, and leave again, without anyone helping them or recognising them?

Richard
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  #2  
Old 28 Nov 2011
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I think most of the grabs since 2003 have involved some sort of tip offs and then turning a blind eye (how the Austrians got from Tunisia all the way to Mali in 2008 is a good example).

But IMO 'Timbuktu' [ie: the event last Friday] seems to have either broken the rules or changed the game, and its unlikely to think they would have - or will - get away with the former.

Ch


[speculative discussions on this post moved to here]
Last edited by Chris Scott; 29 Nov 2011 at 08:08. Reason: clarified
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  #3  
Old 29 Nov 2011
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RIP Martin....

hope the best for the other travelers
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  #4  
Old 30 Nov 2011
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Spent some time chatting to the Swedish guy just before Diama about a month ago...

Small world, Sam.
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  #5  
Old 30 Apr 2012
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AQIM have offered to free the South African/British guy in exchange for the freedom of UK-based radical preacher Abu Qatada. The British government has been trying to extradite Qatada to Jordan for years but has been held back by the European court of human rights. AQIM will know that it is highly unlikely that an exchange can take place - less likely even than a ransom being paid. The tension will be made higher in the UK owing to a British Red Cross medic who was kidnapped and then beheaded by the Taliban in Pakistan over the weekend. In summary, given these complications, release from AQIM captivity is becoming more complicated every year and seemingly with each episode. The 2003 releases were positively quick (3 and 6 months) compared with now. All in all it suggests AQIM are not short of cash either. I put these details here as individuals need to weigh these kind of things up when travelling in the broader region.
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Old 2 May 2012
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Why do the Islamists cause so much trouble?

Seem to cause trouble wherever they are.

vette
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  #7  
Old 21 Aug 2012
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Today a video appeared on arabic Aljazeera

Three hostages held by AQIM
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  #8  
Old 22 Aug 2012
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The English version came today on Al Jazeera;

Hostages in northern Mali plead for help
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Old 5 Nov 2017
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FYI...

https://carteblanche.dstv.com/stephe...ded-interview/


.
Last edited by Trichelia; 5 Nov 2017 at 17:11.
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  #10  
Old 19 Aug 2018
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Some info

the hostages were driven straight to Timetrine after the kidnapping, around 20 hrs drive

then they were moved to north of Kidal.

After Timbuktu fell, they were held in the city for one month, and interviewed by AlJazeera.

Then when Operation Serval started, they were moved to an area between Timbuktu-Araouane and the Maure border, where they spent the remaining 4 years of captivity. They were in the dunes then, which surprised me as there is no forest or mountains there where they can hide. And not far from the enemy troops in TB2.
Hardly any travellers have visited this region over the last ten years, but is there someone here familiar with the terrain?
Last edited by priffe; 20 Aug 2018 at 03:21.
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  #11  
Old 19 Aug 2018
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Originally Posted by priffe View Post
Hardly any travellers have visited this region over the last ten years, but is there someone here familiar with the terrain?
No but I know someone who will be who is up in that region a lot ... what do you want to know in particular?
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  #12  
Old 19 Aug 2018
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Position of waterholes in particular.
Afact there is really nothing there, besides sand dunes and flat desert.
Last edited by priffe; 20 Aug 2018 at 03:22.
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  #13  
Old 16 Apr 2019
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Stephen McGown has come up for air
https://twitter.com/McgownStephen/st...91462245244929
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