This is just getting bizarre ...
Chadian rebels blamed Libya on Tuesday for blocking the handover to Algeria of a north African Islamist militant wanted for kidnapping 32 European tourists last year. In a deal with Chadian rebels trying to rid themselves of Algerians with ties to al Qaeda, Libya agreed to take custody of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) militants and its figurehead Amari Saifi. Libya was then to pass them to an unnamed Western country, which would in turn hand them to Algeria to face prosecution. Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJT) rebels transferred two militants -- not including Saifi -- to Libyan intelligence agents on June 25 as a first step in the process but the Chadians say Tripoli has retained custody of the pair. "Libya failed to hand them over to a Western nation so we can’t now hand over the rest," said Paris-based MDJT spokesman Abubakar Rajab. "As usual Libya is playing games and we must now restart our efforts."
| Or perhaps Libya is "questioning" them for the "Western nation"? |
A Libyan government minister denied the claim by the Chadian rebels.
| "Who you gonna believe, us or some guys named Chad?" |
Algerian authorities have remained mum on the issue.
Libyan Public Order Minister Naser Al-Mabrouk Abdallah said Libyan troops killed two Algerian Islamist guerrillas as they tried to escape infiltrate into its territory from Chad 10 days ago. He identified the two Algerians, whom he did not name, as GSPC members and said a Libyan soldier was wounded in the clash.
"Libya has the bodies of the two killed GSPC members but did not arrest any other member of that group," Abdallah said.
| Funny how Chad rebels say they handed over two GSPC prisoners and Libya just happens to have two dead GSPC guys. Not connected, I'm sure. |
Rajab denied a report in French weekly newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche that Libya had captured GSPC rebels in Chad and uncovered a GSPC camp there. |