sahara passion is the old name, i think

as i cannot find the news on the english news pages, i give the link of the dutch article and try to translate the most important.

Nederlander in Mali ontvoerd door lokale tak Al-Qaeda :: nrc.nl

The AQIM made clear that they are responsible for the kidnappings. They sent an email to the press agency AFP. They also wrote in the email that they will soon make clear what their demands are. these demands will be adressed to the french and malinese authorities.

the dutch article says also that sources in the malinese securityservices think that the polisario movement is responsible. they call the polisario momvement a special branch of the AQIM.

Then the email would also show that the kidnapping of the french was done because of the ''continuing agression of france against the islamic countries of the Sahel''. Then the last news in the article says that mali was chosen for the kidnapping because the president of mali fight AQIM under pressure of the USA and France.

i hope it is clear. i hope there will be more news in the english news soon.

Aqim claims kidnappings in Timbuktu and Hombori
http://www.france24.com/en/20111208-...slamist-france

If indeed Aqim is planning a wave of kidnappings as the Algerian DRS has suggested, it would be downright foolish heading to Timbuktu or the region at this time.
Algerian Intel Service: al-Qaeda planning wave of kidnappings of Westerners - Fayetteville Political Buzz | Examiner.com

Al Qaeda Toont Foto Ontvoerde Nederlander - Algemeen - Video - Zie.nl

pictures of the hostages. aqim sent them to pressagency ANI in mauritanie.

The Google translation of the Arabic is a bit ropey but explains why they have turned on Mali after kidnapping elsewhere: for allowing the Moris to attack AQIM bases in Wagadou forest north of Bamako, and for allowing the French military to be based in Menaka.
So any 'pact' speculated about earlier, may have been been broken with the Mali govt, not local factions.

Interestingly, they deny involvement with the Tindouf kidnappings. Wasn't there some 'drug deal gone wrong' revenge theory about that one - or a new, break away AQIM brigade who are more crims than jihadis and so not in the fold? #2 it seems.

Depressing to see another batch in the usual pose. I hope it ends soon for them and all the rest. If any 'arrangement' or understanding with parts of the Mali govt is over, then perhaps it may do.

Ch

There is an FR version of the story
وكالة نواكشوط للأنباء::ونا::

And now it seems like four kidnappers are grabbed.
The kidnappers of two French citizens in Hombori in Mali in November have been arrested on Malian territory according to local security services...
Kidnappers of French citizens in Mali arrested - Mali - France - RFI

Some further information (in swedish) here:
Svenskens kidnappare ställer krav på Sarkozy - Nyheter - Senaste nytt | Expressen - Nyheter Sport Ekonomi Nöje
Both the message from Aqim this weekend (that they have kidnapped 5 persons) as well as the pictures and informations published on internet makes a high probability that it is the same group behind both the kidnapping in Hombori as well as Timbuktu.
Further information later today...
Good news for the inhabitants of northern Mali, Niger and Burkina F. And of course the five victims.

I met with Steven (from SA) and his friend Foke in Rabat when we appleied for Mauri visas.
Then we drove to camping and stay together 2 days made some plans for Mauritania.
After our NDB-Choum route , Atar, crocodiles in Matmata we have back to Nouakchott and we met next time.
Steven wanted to pass along railway but his bike was to heavy.
We talked, drink something, loked some pictures and films from our way.
They wanted to see Matmata but I didn't realized that Steve wanted to visit Timbuktu.
We talked about Bamako and way down. Plans are different and not always right.
The question is where is Foke (Steven's friend)?
Can see the for the first time in my life photograph of the kidnapped man, with which personally I knew himself.
It is very sad.

Bartosz

Bartosz - I've sent you a PM

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.

Why do the Islamists cause so much trouble?

Seem to cause trouble wherever they are.

vette

Hi uk_vette,

some of the answers to your question can be found here:

Roger Scruton:The West and the Rest - Globalization and the Terrorist Threat Continuum

This is so disturbing. I worked in Mali and was looking forward to go back soon. I have such great memories of that country - I can't believe it is getting so messed up so quickly.

Christian

I wonder if at this very moment someone in a Muslim country asks something like "why do Western (colonial and post-colonial) powers and their corporations have cause so much trouble wherever they have been?"

By no means I defending any kidnapping, I'm absolutely again any of those actions and only hope it ends and all these people are released. It's a paradox that maybe in the future these kidnappers may be received as State chiefs, as it so often has happened.

And by no means I want to start any discussion, but just try to ask what they, Muslims/Islamist may think, as the other side of the coin. As a (catholic) Spaniard I cannot say we did not mess anything in South America in the past, for instance, so we all have our guilts.

Unfortunately, these travellers are paying the mess. And unfortunately, things do not seem to get any better.

It would be good to keep this thread's focus on news of those who have been kidnapped. I fear we won't resolve the issues being discussed as they are so complex. What is worth remembering is that the fate of Saharan travel in Algeria, Mali, Niger and parts of Mauritania has basically been determined by a group of about a dozen men for the last ten years. Without those particular characters, and there are probably only 4 or so absolutely key players, things would be entirely different.