Mali: standoff between François Hollande and AQIM
The new head of AQIM in the Sahel and the Sahara, Abu Yahya Hamame threatened this weekend to kill the French hostages in case of foreign military intervention in northern Mali. The message is clearly addressed to French President François Hollande, now that the military intervention of ECOWAS has become imminent.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Mali-standoff-b...
Islamist groups occupying northern Mali are actively preparingforthis intervention. This weekend also, they received the support of hundreds of jihadists as armed reinforcements who arrived in the north of Mali, mainly Sudan and some came from the Sahrawi Polisario camps in Algeria,writes Sahelintellengence.com.
Abu Yahya Hamame accused the French President of wanting to wage war in Mali through West African countries, a new strategy that Western countries have adopted,he says, following “the failure of their interventions in Afghanistan and elsewhere. " The leader of AQIM in the Sahel spoke a week after another Islamist leader present in northern Mali, who had also threatened to kill six of the nine French hostages held by AQIM in the event of military intervention.
The Elysee for now is sticking to is guns, extending the poker game with the Islamists. The leader of AQIM has also warned their two neighbours who are opposed to military intervention, Algeria and Mauritania, especially the latter, because it doubts their intention to stay out of the conflict.
The agitation of the jihadist leaders is explained by the turn of events on the ground. After obtaining the approval of the Security Council of the UN, ECOWAS countries have boosted their cooperation in all aspects, including military, with Mali. This revival was announced last Friday following the meeting in Bamako of representatives of the United Nations, African Union, European Union, ECOWAS and other neighbouring countries, including Algeria and Mauritania. The regional military force of 3,000 men is being prepared with the utmost secrecy on its composition and funding.
Abu Yahya Hamame accused the French President of wanting to wage war in Mali through West African countries, a new strategy that Western countries have adopted,he says, following “the failure of their interventions in Afghanistan and elsewhere. " The leader of AQIM in the Sahel spoke a week after another Islamist leader present in northern Mali, who had also threatened to kill six of the nine French hostages held by AQIM in the event of military intervention.
The Elysee for now is sticking to is guns, extending the poker game with the Islamists. The leader of AQIM has also warned their two neighbours who are opposed to military intervention, Algeria and Mauritania, especially the latter, because it doubts their intention to stay out of the conflict.
The agitation of the jihadist leaders is explained by the turn of events on the ground. After obtaining the approval of the Security Council of the UN, ECOWAS countries have boosted their cooperation in all aspects, including military, with Mali. This revival was announced last Friday following the meeting in Bamako of representatives of the United Nations, African Union, European Union, ECOWAS and other neighbouring countries, including Algeria and Mauritania. The regional military force of 3,000 men is being prepared with the utmost secrecy on its composition and funding.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Mali-standoff-b...