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| Africa North |
| Mauritania begins dialogue with Qaeda prisoners |
| 2010-01-20 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] The Mauritanian government on Monday began a "spiritual dialogue" with Salafist prisoners, a first in a country that has been the victim of several attacks attributed to al-Qaeda. The opening ceremony took place at Nouakchott central prison, where 67 prisoners from the radical Islamist movement are being held and tried for "terrorist actions," including the killings of four French tourists in December 2007. "We are here today to discuss ways and means to get out of a crisis that threatens civil peace in a nation known for its spirit of tolerance, magnanimity and openness," said Minister of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Ould Nini. He called on the prisoners to benefit from the dialogue, which will be led by a score of Muslim ulemas, or scholars, and imams. The Salafist prisoners are divided, although a majority is favorable to the dialogue and ready to repent, since 47 of them recently issued an appeal for talks with the authorities. Opponents of the dialogue are led by al-Khadim Ould Semman, in prison since 2008, notably in connection with the murder of the French tourists. "I speak in the name of those who bear arms to fight the miscreants and their acolytes among the leaders in the Muslim countries," Ould Semman said, brandishing a banner in the name of al-Qaeda. "He is the spokesman of a minority group among those who have (hands stained with) blood and who therefore don't expect to be freed," a member of the official delegation told AFP. The dialogue is due to last for three days, but could be prolonged if necessary, according to the authorities. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has in the past two years claimed responsibility for several attacks in Mauritania, including the murder of the French tourists at Aleg in the south in 2007 and that of an American in the capital last June. |
| Posted by:Fred |