There's talk of a possible kidnapping of a group including 5 French citizens who were working near Arlit - presumably on the mine.

News - Africa: France probes 'possible' kidnap in Niger

Confirmed!

Reuters - Five French kidnapped in Niger - nuclear firm

and

Al Jazeera - French workers kidnapped in Niger

Ulrich

On the latest kidnappings, the BBC news website notes:
Laouali Dan Dahdit said the kidnappers "spoke mostly Arabic and Tamashek", a Berber language used by the desert region's semi-nomadic Tuareg people.

Which reminds me, last Saturday morning (11 Sept 2010), Robert Fowler, the Canadian diplomat who was kidnapped by AQIM, was interviewed on BBC Radio 4. There wasn't much new in what he said on Saturday. Most of it was a retelling of the interviews previously available on the internet via Canadian TV. One striking thing, though, was the comment that the most frequently spoken language amongst the AQIM guys (or the language which they had in common - I forget which) was Tamashek.

Fwiw, the local Tuareg (as opposed to AQIM), have been protesting about getting a slice of Areva's pie in Niger this last year or two. Didnt they briefly kidnap a European engineer or smth a year or so back?

Ch

__________________
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook 8 • Morocco Overland 3 • Overlanders Handbook 2 • Twit

Kidnappings near Arlit by local Taureg tend to have a faster and happier ending than AQIM's- so one has to hope.

However, "They were last seen heading towards Inabangaret, an important well and stopping point near the border with Algeria and Mali, he said."
BBC News - French nationals among seven workers kidnapped in Niger

And we all know what happens west of there....

friends of mine in 2 land rovers crossed into algeria on tuesday the 14th sept(a6 hour border crossing inwhich cb radios and binoculars were confiscated) they crossed at Hazoua and are taking 7 days to cross down to In-Guezzam and then on to Agadez via Arlit,so they should be there by this time next week and from Agadez hopefully will be able to get more info on how things are in the area. LES

Well spotted buy worth clarifying that according to Ennahar they: "were arrested on the road to the town of Tinzaouatine in the province [or wilaya] of Tamanrasset" which is the size of the UK.

Tin Z is 600km from Tam (and it has to be said, the one place the Algies would be watching out for these guys).

Ch

__________________
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook 8 • Morocco Overland 3 • Overlanders Handbook 2 • Twit

Reports that 3 terrorists from Abu Zeids group intercepted near Tamanrasset, destined for North Algeria with funds for Droukdal....apparently had 100,000Euros cash on them.

Ennahar Online - Arrest of a Malian and Mauritanian of Abu Zeid group in Tamanrasset

"Reports that 3 terrorists from Abu Zeids group intercepted near Tamanrasset, destined for North Algeria with funds for Droukdal....apparently had 100,000Euros cash on them."

This kind of operation ican be one reason of the restriction of travel for tourist in the area..
RR

Droukdal saying to negotiate with Bin Laden for the release of the French hostages:

AQIM demands Afghan withdrawal in return for French hostages | News by Country | Reuters

Statement by YouTube:

The Conditions of the Mujahideen for the release of the French prisoners

Regards

Ulrich

Ennahar Online - Toumani convinced that the French hostages were dispersed
Mali rules out rescue mission for French hostages | Top News | Reuters
The French are negotiating
France in contact with Mali hostage-takers | RFI

The release of the four French hostages coincides with the lifting of the arrest warrants in Bamako against four touareg rebellion leaders, Ibrahim Ag Mohamed Assaleh, Mohamed Ag Intalla, Ahmada Ag Bibi and Alghabass Ag Intalla.
Justice malienne | Mali : la justice lève les mandats d'arrêt contre quatre responsables de la rébellion touarègue
And, not surprisingly, Iyad Ag Ghaly is also looking for impunity - some say that the release came about now not because the money was ready to be paid out, but because Ag Ghaly negotiated the release.
Terrorisme | Otages français : Iyad Ag Ghali, le chef d'Ansar Eddine, a-t-il négocié son impunité ?

According to Niamey, there wasn't even any French directly involved in the negotiations.
French version: A convoy with touareg and French left Kidal Oct 21 without any means of communication (for fear of being tracked) but with a suitcase with cash (€20M+) that they exchanged for the coordinates of the hostages. Convoy returned to Kidal Oct 29, and the hostages were flown to Niamey.

Niger version: touareg leader Mohamed Akotey, former minister, now on the Areva board, close to president Issofou, spent several months in negotiations, and then went to Kidal, set up a meeting for the exchange 100 kms north of Kidal. He was then picked up by a helicopter sent from Niamey, they made the exchange and three hours later landed in Niamey.

Terrorisme | Libération des otages d'Arlit : en coulisses, les Nigériens contredisent la version française

One must wonder about the complicitiy by Kidal touaregs in high positions in the kidnappings of the last few years. All the above mentioned are from the same tribe, Ifoghhas, and they know each other very well. Iyad and Akotey were leaders of the rebellions of the 90's, Iyad in Mali and Akotey in Niger. And the Areva hostages were held by Abdelkrim, the touareg jihadist (now deceased), who just happens to be a cousin of Iyad.
Surely a lot of crooks in the Kidal region will now be wading in money.

And also with the experience of how to run one of these hostage taking deals. Which means any tourist passing through while that knowledge is current is on their radar - not that there will be any/many.

Long article, in French, offering some explanations why it took three years to negotiate the release of the Areva hostages.
Sahel | Niger : comment Issoufou a organisé la libération des otages enlevés à Arlit