Faced with Mujao ultimatum what can Algeria do?
Do political negotiations conducted by the Algerian authorities with the terrorist groups of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in Mali have a relationship with the evolution of the situation of Algerian diplomats kidnapped in northern Mali?
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Faced-with-Muja...
If Algiers has remained undecided in the option of military intervention in the region, what can it do now, faced with the ultimatum that has been set by the Movement for the uniqueness and Jihad in West Africa (Mujao) that it will kill one of the hostages unless 3 AQIM terrorists captured in Ghardia last week are released including Necib Tayeb a senior AQIM leaders in Algeria, writes the Algerian Daily Le Matin.
Have the Algerian diplomats kidnapped on April 5 in the city of Gao in northern Mali in April, been the victims of the inconsistencies of the Algerian government dealing with counter terrorism on its own soil and also in Mali? The negotiation for the release of the hostages has gone on at the sametime as negotiations to resolve the Mali crisis. Both have undermined each other.
In addition Algiers has been under increasing pressure to act militarily from the United States and France. Algeria has insisted on dialogue but it is becoming increasingly difficult as they are now negotiating with terrorists which is something they said they would not do.
The negotiations for the release of the hostages from the Algerian consulate in Gao have dragged on , 3 have been released but the other 4 now face the possibility that Mujao may want to trade them for Algerian AQMI arrested in Algeria.
The situation escalated with the suicide bombing in Ouargla against the seat of the Gendarmerie, claimed by the same terrorist group Mujao, threatening worse reprisals if ECOWAS were to send troops to liberate Northern Mali. Algeria faces the possibility of an increase in violence in Algeria. What began as an attempt to have dialogue with the Tuareg MNLA ended up with Algeria trying to negotiate with AQIM and its affilaites
Algeria’s apparent indecision and insistence on dialogue and non interference is frustrating its allies both internationally and in the Sahel. The Algerians are trying to negotiate with Iyad Ag Ghali and Algerian emirs affiliated with him namely, Mokhtar Belmokhtar and Abdelmalek Droukdel.
Whilst everyone appreciates Algeria’s difficulty with its hostages, it is in a seemingly impossible position. If it pays the alledged 15 million euros as ransom as one of the hostages asked it to do it would in effect be funding terrorism on its own soil.
There is some evidence that Europe’s patience is running out. Reports circulated in early August that the EU was setting up a network of security “advisers” in the Sahel. These "experts" have quietly begun to deploy in Niger. In total, the mission called EUCAP Sahel counts fifty experts, says the newspaper Cameroon Voice. Its official mission is to train local security forces. Based in Niamey, the mission will have liaison officers in Bamako and Nouakchott. The paper suggests that French Special Forces may use EUCAP as a means to pursue its security interests against AQIM and its affiliates to rescue its hostages and protect France and Europe from terrorist attack.
Cameroon Voice points out that Niger has extensive uranium interests which the French company Areva mines to supply France’s nuclear energy for power generation, nothing it says has been announced but everyone will understand. Someone will have to get their hands dirty dealing with the increasingly unstable terrorist situation.
Have the Algerian diplomats kidnapped on April 5 in the city of Gao in northern Mali in April, been the victims of the inconsistencies of the Algerian government dealing with counter terrorism on its own soil and also in Mali? The negotiation for the release of the hostages has gone on at the sametime as negotiations to resolve the Mali crisis. Both have undermined each other.
In addition Algiers has been under increasing pressure to act militarily from the United States and France. Algeria has insisted on dialogue but it is becoming increasingly difficult as they are now negotiating with terrorists which is something they said they would not do.
The negotiations for the release of the hostages from the Algerian consulate in Gao have dragged on , 3 have been released but the other 4 now face the possibility that Mujao may want to trade them for Algerian AQMI arrested in Algeria.
The situation escalated with the suicide bombing in Ouargla against the seat of the Gendarmerie, claimed by the same terrorist group Mujao, threatening worse reprisals if ECOWAS were to send troops to liberate Northern Mali. Algeria faces the possibility of an increase in violence in Algeria. What began as an attempt to have dialogue with the Tuareg MNLA ended up with Algeria trying to negotiate with AQIM and its affilaites
Algeria’s apparent indecision and insistence on dialogue and non interference is frustrating its allies both internationally and in the Sahel. The Algerians are trying to negotiate with Iyad Ag Ghali and Algerian emirs affiliated with him namely, Mokhtar Belmokhtar and Abdelmalek Droukdel.
Whilst everyone appreciates Algeria’s difficulty with its hostages, it is in a seemingly impossible position. If it pays the alledged 15 million euros as ransom as one of the hostages asked it to do it would in effect be funding terrorism on its own soil.
There is some evidence that Europe’s patience is running out. Reports circulated in early August that the EU was setting up a network of security “advisers” in the Sahel. These "experts" have quietly begun to deploy in Niger. In total, the mission called EUCAP Sahel counts fifty experts, says the newspaper Cameroon Voice. Its official mission is to train local security forces. Based in Niamey, the mission will have liaison officers in Bamako and Nouakchott. The paper suggests that French Special Forces may use EUCAP as a means to pursue its security interests against AQIM and its affiliates to rescue its hostages and protect France and Europe from terrorist attack.
Cameroon Voice points out that Niger has extensive uranium interests which the French company Areva mines to supply France’s nuclear energy for power generation, nothing it says has been announced but everyone will understand. Someone will have to get their hands dirty dealing with the increasingly unstable terrorist situation.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Faced-with-Muja...