Western tourists attacked in Mauritania

[Chris Scott]

BBC News - Spanish hostages 'not yet free'

[Ulrich]

The terrorist organization AQIM has released the two Spanish hostages, Roque Pascual and Albert Vilalta. The Spanish authorities announced that a plane was ready to fly from Madrid to the area but « we do not know the exact location of their delivery" to the Spanish authorities, according to the Spanish daily El Pais.

Ennahar - Belmokhtar frees the two Spanish hostages and recovers the terrorist Omar Sahraoui

* Al Qaeda frees two Spanish hostages -- TV

* Unnamed Malian official confirms release

* Release seen linked to repatriation of militant to Mali

(Adds Spanish government official's comments)

By Tracy Rucinski

MADRID, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The Spanish government said it was working for the release of two hostages held by al Qaeda's north African wing after al Arabiya television said the pair had been freed.

Al Arabiya said the release of the hostages was linked to Mauritania's repatriation to Mali of a militant who had been convicted of the kidnapping of the two Spanish aid workers, along with a third who was freed in March.

A Spanish government official declined to confirm that the two hostages had already been released, but said: "The government is exploring all possibilities to obtain a happy ending to this kidnapping."

A Malian official said the two Spaniards, working for the Barcelona-Accio Solidario aid group, had been freed.

"We confirm their liberation," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity and giving no further details.

Reuters - Spain says working for happy end to Qaeda kidnapping

The kidnapping longest history of Sahel played last night to an end. The two Spanish hostages, Roque Pascual and Albert Vilalta, were taken by North African branch of Al Qaeda (AQMI) from its last hiding and traveling through the desert of Mali path of his release after nearly nine months in captivity, according to sources familiar with the development negotiation.

El Pais - Los cooperantes, camino de la libertad

Gogoonisch - E



Ulrich

[Ulrich]

"They are free," he said. "It's done."

AP - Spanish NGO: kidnapped aid workers free

Ulrich

[Ulrich]

Immediately after the Franco-Mauritanian attack against Al Qaeda to free French hostage Michel Germaneau, 22 July, terrorists held hostage and Roque Vilalta Albert Pascual "were about to kill them," reports from Burkina Faso Ould Mustapha Liman Chafia the mediator with the kidnappers. "All we gave almost dead. We thought he was a lost cause. It was the hardest moment of my work."

The mediadior Mustafa Chafia (with sunglasses) with Spanish aid workers and Albert Vilalta Roque Pascual (down the helicopter). - AFP

El Pais - "Estuvieron a punto de matarles. Cre�*mos que era una causa perdida"

Gogoonisch - E

Ulrich

[Ulrich]

The Spanish negotiators and Mali confirm the payment of 8 million euros

What was that prediction, and rumor has proven Official. There have been negotiating for the release of two hostages held since November 2009 Spanish. But not any negotiation.

Liberte - Quand Madrid renfloue les caisses d’Al-Qaïda

Gogoonisch - E

The family of Omar Sahraoui, accused for the abduction of the three Spanish hostages nine months ago, confirmed the release of the latter. "Omar was released shortly before the release of the two Spaniards, I saw him with my eyes," said his cousin Mohammed from Bamako. A regional source close to negotiations for the release of the hostages has confirmed the release.

Ennahar - Belmokhtar releases Sahraoui and imposes his power in the Sahel countries

Ulrich

[priffe]

Well great news. Let's hope there is some follow up in the brief period when noone is held hostage in the desert.

Omar the Saharian interviewed by AFP
AFP: Kidnapper of Spanish hostages says it was just business

"I came to Mali free," he said, speaking in Hassania, an Arabic dialect, in remarks that were translated by one of his cousins, Mohammed.
On the day he left Nouakchott "three of them (Mauritanian officials) accompanied me by plane. They told me that the case was over."
In his homeland Mali he is registered "as a cigarette smuggler and transporter of illegal immigrants," according to a Malian security source.
"As a trader, one must also understand this is someone who will do anything for money," the source said.
Hamma was born into a family originally from Mauritania, and is married to a woman from the western Sahara whom he met while conducting business in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria.
That gave him his nickname "Assahraoui" (The Sahrawi).
His origins, his marriage and his relationships with the tribes of the Sahel countries accumulated over countless voyages in this vast area have given him experience that is invaluable to AQIM, which operates on the borders of Algeria, Mauritania, Niger and Mali.
AQIM leader Belmokhtar made Hamma's release one of the key requirements for the release of the Spanish hostages, along with a hefty ransom which Malian mediators say was eight million euros (10 million dollars).

One thing I don't quite understand - as the hostages are now free, what is keeping Malian or Mauritanian law enforcement from picking him up so he can do his twelve years? Also in the trial, he had all his property confiscated (but he lives in Mali, so unclear what that means) - did they hand it back?
The desert could be a slightly safer place to travel with Hamma behind bars.

edit - I just reread the entire thread, and it is an interesting read. Thanks to all who contributed. Let's hope the coming season will be peaceful and we can visit the desert from Adrar to Arlit without fear.

[qwer1234]

It seems that the Malian Government doesn't want to do anything to stop the proliferation of Al-Qaeda and kidnappers.
Now that the Mauritanian Government has extradited the kidnapper of the Spaniards, he has 'mysteriously' disappeared somewhere in Bamako!
The justice ministry has said that this subject is not their competence?!

When the two Spaniards were released it was made public after they entered Burkina Faso, not when they reached some big town in Mali, due to security reasons.

It is well known where the dangerous area is located (it seems that Gao and north of Gao) but nothing is done.
The only thing that seems to interest the Malian Government is to get commissions from the kidnapping ransoms.

And the worst thing is that Mali is the only democratic country in the region, so its Government can not even be criticized of being a 'corrupt dictatorship'.

I think that something should be done, because they are posing at risk the entire region.

[markharf]

"Something should be done..."

Any idea what this "something" should be? Or which "someone" should do it?

[Chris Scott]

I have not read everything on the matter, but as I understand it, the disappearance of Omar the Saharan after his return to Mali is not mysterious - he was simply set free and 'went back to his goats'.

He was not 'extradited' in the correct sense [to face charges in the country which he got sent to - Mali] because he faced no charges in Mali. The crime he was accused of was committed in Mori last November.

He was 'released' by Mori (presumably reluctantly, as they had just given him 12 years?) because those where the demands of MBM (on top of ~€8 mil), to in turn release the last 2 Spanish hostages.

But 'released' or 'set free' does not sound so good so we were given 'extradited'.

It is possible there was some worry that the hostages would have ended up like M. Germaneau (though there is doubt GM was actually executed), so maybe that is why MBM got his way so easily.

The fact that Mori was said to have 'kidnapped' him from Mali to take back and face a trial can only be interpreted as unsportsmanlike. But at least he appeared to get a trial - not all AQ suspects kidnapped in broad daylight in Europe and elsewhere get that so soon.

I suppose Mori knew that asking for him to be arrested by Mali and then extradited to Mori to face a trial was futile.

Omar was accused of getting €15k from MBM to grab the Spanish off the highway. Who knows if he was guilty - the fact that MBM demanded his release suggests that the Moris may have had the right guy - or he was related to MBM in some way.

So I agree, his release does not send a good message about Mali, but a good one about Mori - assuming if what is known is correct and the trial was for real.

As some headline somewhere said: 'AQIM controls the Sahel...'

Ch

[Wilmar]

Dear all,

Good news the hostages are free!

Bad news:
Paying of ransom always means more kidnaps in the future.
Whatever the groups/people behind this.
It is only for the money.
The people and organisations who pay ransoms to these maffia groups (which ofcourse have nothing to do with any kind of true religion) should also be imprisoned.
The payments could trigger more kidnaps in the future.

[Ulrich]

El Periodico quoted Chafi as saying: “AQIM wanted to block the last vehicle of the convoy; kidnap as much hostages as possible and then shot dead the rest of aid workers”.

El Khabar - “Bemokhtar planned to kill all Spanish aid workers”, intermediary

Ulrich

[Ulrich]

Spanish Hostages: What really happened

Everything begins November 29, 2009, on the road between Nouadhibou and Nouakchott. A convoy of humanitarian NGOs in Spanish Catalan Accio Salidario was targeted by gunmen. The last car, remained at the drags, is affected by the attack. First there are three humanitarian:

Kassataya - Otages espagnols : Ce qui s’est réellement passé

Gogoonisch - E

Ulrich