| A Sahara Desert handoff was unfolding Saturday that could put a man believed to be one of North Africa’s most-wanted terror suspects in the hands of Algerian authorities, according to an official with one of the countries involved. Algerian forces hoped through the handoff to win custody of a man tentatively identified as Amari Saifi, known as "Al Para," his nom de guerre, the official said. The handoff was due to take place in the remote desert of the West African nation of Niger, with Algerian troops hoping to take custody from a rebel group in Chad, neighboring Niger. The rebel group, the Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad, claimed to have captured Saifi in March after an intense battle near Chad’s border with Niger. The Chad rebels since had sought to contact Algeria, France, Germany, Niger and the United States about handing over Saifi and followers captured with him, diplomats have said. The official on Saturday said transfer of the suspect was supposed to come in "an exchange," but could give no details. Authorities on Saturday were awaiting confirmation that the capture, playing out with no fanfare in an isolated area with little communication, had taken place. No immediate word of the operation reached the Niger capital, Niamey. |