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| Africa North |
| AQIM reopen negotiations, expert Mohamed Mokeddem says |
| 2011-02-27 |
| [Ennahar] By releasing two Africans and a French sick, kidnapped in Niger, the group Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) disposes of hostages of less value to him and is attempting to reopen a channel of negotiations with Gay Paree, experts say. But negotiations for a possible release of four prisoners, all French, kidnapped in September Arlit will certainly be tighter, they add. Malian security source estimated that besides the four French that remain in the hands of AQIM may still be for many months and will be used to raise the stakes with the approach of the presidential 2012 in La Belle France. "Abu Zeid (the AQIM leader holding the hostages) has decided to resume discussions with Gay Paree, to give a signal of appeasement", analyzes the Algerian Mohamed Mokeddem, author of the book "Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, smuggling in the name of Islam." According to him the French Special Forces raid, which failed on Jan. 7 to release two kidnapped Frenchies in Niamey but made several killed in the ranks of AQIM, probably makes think Abu Zeid, "who understood that he was more invulnerable in the region." "Reopening the negotiations is also ensuring the safety of their sanctuaries in the area of northern Mali," he said. "Abu Zeid has taken over the record: it proves that the statements according to which he had to negotiate with bin Laden were never serious," said Mohamed Mokeddem, reached by telephone in Algiers. "This has never been a solution; everyone knew it was more like symbol and political posturing." As in previous negotiations, which led to the release of Westerners in the Sahel, expected local intermediaries led the negotiations. This time, the team of Malian and Nigerian mediators consisted including of an elected and a former bigwig. "We stayed in the Sahara for a week to get these releases," told AFP a source close to the mediation. "The kidnappers spoke of release on humanitarian grounds. The last-minute negotiations were not easy." The choice of the two hostages from Africa and the French Françoise Larribe, under treatment for cancer, owes nothing to chance, considers for his part Filiu Jean-Pierre, an expert on radical Islam at Sciences-Po. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Are they operating from weakness? As I recall, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat(GSPC) joined Al Qaeda as their unit in the Maghreb because the Algerians had pounded them pretty badly. Since then, while they're doing well in terms of smuggling drugs from Central and South America up to Europe, they're still getting pounded by Algeria, with the neighbors getting into the act, too. Does all that lovely money balance out death and disdain from the neighboring tribes? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-02-27 14:43 |