Wüstenschiff

Entführungen in Mali
Al-Qaida stellt europäische Geiseln zur Schau
Das Terrornetzwerk al-Qaida brüstet sich, fünf Europäer in Mali entführt zu haben. Zwei von ihnen sollen Agenten des französischen Geheimdienstes sein, behaupten die Terroristen. Deutsche sind nach SPIEGEL-ONLINE-Informationen nicht darunter.
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0 ... 01,00.html

Algeria on Monday jailed one of the most radical leaders of Al-Qaeda's northern Africa branch, fugitive Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, for life in absentia for creating "an international terror group", one of his lawyers said.

A new organisation – Harakat Ansar al-Din (Movement of Religious Supporters) – aims to unite deserters from the Malian army and former members of Moamer Kadhafi's militias under the banner of Sharia law and rights for Touareg residents in Azaouad.

Al-Qaeda's North African branch warned Western states including France Thursday against a military bid to rescue hostages kidnapped in Mali, citing "information" of plans for such an operation. "We send a warning to France, Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden: if they authorise this operation it will mean the death of their nationals and amount to an attempt on their lives," it said in a statement in Arabic.

Sahel-Saharan terror groups region are in real trouble. Their leaders are busy with internecine disputes, their resources are drying up and - in the wake of the Arab Spring - their violent methods are seen by citizens as less effective than peaceful struggle. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is facing a major internal rift, particularly among the Sahara brigades, Algerian daily Ennahar reported on January 2nd. Mohammed Ghadir (aka Abdelhamid Abou Zeid), the "Tariq ibn Ziyad" katibat boss, and Khaled Abou El Abass (aka Mokhtar Belmokhtar, or "Laaouar"), who runs the El Moulethemine battalion, are vying for control of AQIM's Sahara emirate.

Bodensee hat geschrieben:Algerische Armee meldet Erfolge
http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xh ... feature-01
Algerische Armee erzielt zusammen mit Mali und Niger Erfolge gegen Waffenschmuggler...

BAMAKO, Mali — A new Tuareg rebel group, whose members include former pro-Gadhafi fighters, launched its first attack on Tuesday on at least one town in Mali. Government forces fought back, including with helicopters.

Many ethnic Tuareg fighters who had fought for Moammar Gadhafi returned home with their weapons to Mali after the Libyan strongman was killed in October. Some joined a rebel group called the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, or NMLA, which was formed that same month.

Erstmals seit dem Jahr 2009 hat es in Mali wieder heftige Kämpfe zwischen Tuareg-Rebellen und der Armee gegeben. Nach einem Angriff auf die Stadt Menaka nahe der Grenze zum Niger am Dienstag griffen die Rebellen gestern auch die Städte Aguelhok und Tessalit nahe der algerischen Grenze an.

In Mali sind nach Regierungsangaben bei Kämpfen zwischen Tuareg-Rebellen und Soldaten innerhalb von zwei Tagen 47 Menschen ums Leben gekommen. Wie der französische Auslandssender RFI gestern spätabends unter Berufung auf die Streitkräfte des westafrikanischen Landes berichtete, starben 45 Rebellen und zwei Soldaten.