Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb | Mauritania | Algeria


The Mauritanian military escorts the Spanish humanitarian organization, Barcelona Accio Solidaria, against potential attacks by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. The convoy is traveling through Mauritania on their way to the Senegal border, near Nouachott on December 2, 2009.
"For the last eight years they had followed well-publicized routes through Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia. This time, as the volunteers traversed the stretch of sand-swept pavement that is Mauritania’s main highway, a group of armed men lay in wait.
....
Members of the convoy heard gunshots at about 8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 29, they told reporters. Those in front raced back to the caravan’s last car. The Land Rover stood abandoned in the dark, doors gaping open. Money and equipment remained inside. The passengers had vanished."

Is this implying that armed army convoys are now escorting all traffic along the route NDB-NKT?

No, just the Spaniards AFAIK.

If this is true:
"For the last eight years they had followed well-publicized routes..."
then that is the kind of info that would facilitate the planning of a kidnapping.

I traveled this route yesterday, after runing into said convoy on the Nouakchott diama track, in fact i had to help dig one of there trucks out of deep sand!! the main road has 11 checkpoints along the route up to nouadibou , none terribly stringent but then i was on a bike, think they were giving most cars the once over, and the night before i was in a local`s car and whenever we got stopped they looked in the boot.
I know what has happened is terrible but it would not stop me using this route, to my way of thinking it is safer than ever.
Maybe a big convoy, and this was a big convoy.....might demand, get more news and a more likely result regards ransom.

stu

Hello,

interesting article on El Khabar. Translated from Arabic to Englisch:

Terrorists used the spanish hostages as human shields


Regards

Ulrich

Hard to make out from the translation what they're on to, but the mention of Moroccan involvement is a red herring, coming from an Algerian source. I haven't found references to what they're saying anywhere else?

Also, it brings up the old 'masked Amir Mokhtar Belmokhtar' chestnut which makes that article sound even more like an element of Alg state propaganda. (Not that others don't have an agenda too, of course)

Ch

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The idea of using the prisoners as human shields strikes me as plausible. If engaged by the military, threats to the prisoners are their only ticket out of there. And if I were the Mauri military, I wouldn't want the episode discussed because it emphasises the powerlessness of the military when shields are used. As I said earlier, I reckon this is the most plausible explanation for the false news of the early release. They were spotted, perhaps surrounded, but had to be left alone.

This is the kind of condemnation we all too seldom hear from islam authorities. It was the same after xmas 2007 Aleg killings. Kudos to Mauritania for being speaking out so clearly. Wish the rest of the muslim world did the same (Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi....)

Maghreb News

Mauritanian imam denounces kidnappers as false Muslims

2009-12-06 The imam of the Nouakchott mosque spoke out during Friday prayers against the kidnappers of 3 Spanish humanitarian aid workers in northern Mauritania last week, AFP and ANI reported on Saturday (December 5th). "All those who violate the peace in the land of Islam and cause trouble for Muslims cannot be called Muslims and cannot have links with Islam," Ahmadou Ould Lemrabott said. "The real Salafists are those who cling to the right path of the first guides of our holy religion. This is not those who kill and spread terror among Muslims," he added.

The three Spanish nationals, including one woman, were kidnapped on November 29th by armed terrorists while travelling in a solidarity caravan along the Nouadhibou-Nouakchott road. Security sources believe that may have been taken to al-Qaeda camps in northern Mali.

I think that's oversimplifying things a bit.

it seems to be Al Qaeda as expected:

"An al-Qaeda offshoot has reportedly said its members kidnapped three Spanish aid workers in Mauritania and a Frenchman in Mali last month."


BBC News - Al-Qaeda 'to blame' for Mauritania and Mali kidnappings

So it seems

Ennahar Online - Three Spaniards detained by AQIM "hardliners"

Menaka (Mali) – The three humanitarian Spanish abducted in late November in Mauritania are detained by the hardliners of Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), who also hold a French hostage kidnapped in the same period, we learned Tuesday from security sources in northern Mali.

"The three Spaniards are in the hands of the hardliners of AQIM led by Abu Zeid, according to security source in Menaka, in northern Mali.

"It is very dangerous. We must act quickly. It’s Abu Zeid who killed a British tourist" Edwin Dyer, executed in June by the North African branch of Al-Qaeda, said the same source.

Last week, the Spanish newspaper El Pais, based on " sources close " to the Spanish secret services, had said that the three Spaniards were instead in the hands of the "least radical" branch of AQIM conducted by the 'Algerian Mokhtar Belmokhtar.

I then wish more people would oversimplify things.

This may not be at the news: yesterday a direct relative of a Spanish kidnaped man told us: "the Spanish gov offered a lot of cash to a.q. but they don't want to take the money yet. we are not going to have nice Christmas"

Why holding them for longer ? Just for publicity ?

Well yes, they may not be asking only for money at this time. They will want make a political gain also, and to justify their actions probably demand liberation of AQ prisoners in Spain.
What did they ask for letting the tuna fishing boat in Somalia go? Aqim seems to be less businessminded and more islamistic than the Somalis.
Time is on the kidnappers side as long as nobody starts going after them.
Terrible situation for Barcelona.

Al Jazeera English - Africa - Al-Qaeda group claims kidnappings

"A spokesman claiming to represent al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings last month of four Europeans in Mali and Mauritania. The claim was made in an audiotape obtained by Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

"Two units of the valiant mujahedeen managed to kidnap four Europeans in two distinct operations: the first in Mali where Frenchman Pierre Camatte was seized on November 25, and the second in Mauritania where three Spaniards were held on November 29," the spokesman, who identified himself as Saleh Abu Mohammad, said on the tape.
He added that "France and Spain will be informed later of the legitimate demands of the mujahedeen", but did not go into detail about the demands."

edit: on Aqim websites they have ranted about the return of al-Andalus, referring to the former islamic part of Spain. And how Ceuta and Melilla must be taken back - maybe that will be their demands...
The Spanish hostages must have been very much targeted.

Hello,

today the so called "Al Qaeda", former GSPC, for me just criminals an nothing else, have today released on an islamic webside an statement.

Translated from Arabic to English:
The original (PDF to JPG)



Regards

Ulrich