[Maghrebia] A Bamako court released the four prison inmates whose freedom was demanded by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in exchange for life of the French hostage Pierre Camatte, AFP quoted a judicial source in Mali as saying on Friday (February 19th). The two Mauritanians, a Burkinabe and an Algerian were arrested last April. When they received 9-month prison sentences for weapons charges on Thursday, they were released for time served.
In related news, the man who allegedly financed the kidnappings in Mauritania of three Spanish aid workers and an Italian couple was extradited from Mali on Saturday, ANI reported. Oumar Ould Sid 'Ahmed, aka "Omar Sahraoui", is now in the custody of the Directorate General for National Security (DGSN) in Nouakchott. The hostages remain held by AQIM in the northern Mali desert. |