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An interesting article about Operation Barkhane, with some good pictures:
https://widerimage.reuters.com/story...s-mud-mistrust https://photos.wi.gcs.trstatic.net/e...bE51VPKLteIVDQ |
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Perhaps Rainer was on to something there. |
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Worth adding, I believe this is by far the most viewed thread on the regional forums, and one of the most viewed on the entire HUBB. It tracked the demise of desert travel in the Sahara with many insightful comments and reporting from the ground, spiced with some speculation. Obviously it had something to offer. And the owners should enjoy the traffic, no? But someones feelings was hurt. And then there was the police. |
Hi everybody,
Is there any update on the Italian and Canadian believed to have been taken from Burkina Faso into Mali? It's been quite some time now. https://globalnews.ca/news/5164504/q...faso-minister/ |
One reason Burkina was stable was Compaorés ability to handle and deal with Al Qaeda and other adversaries. His aid since decades (going back all the way to Sankara!) the mauretanian Limam Ould Chafi was instrumental, and himself made millions from the kidnappings.
https://medium.com/@Algerie_Infos/ex...fi-d6658e39e95 Now Compaoré is bored in Abidjan. https://www.theafricareport.com/1693...homesick-blues Chafi is still by his side. Perhaps Burkina will not be stable until Compaoré either returns or is out of business. |
Good articles thanks for sharing Priffe!
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The expected next expansion of islamist groups is into Ghana, CIV, Togo and Benin
https://www.theafricareport.com/1784...s-in-the-sahel |
A long but interesting report about the various groups involved in the gold mining trade across the region. Not sure how accurate it all is but makes for a good read:
https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/s...8994-359971337 |
Burkina speaks up about the leadership of the various terrorist groups:
https://infowakat.net/securite-la-pl...erm=2019-12-18 |
Interesting article here about arms trafficking in West Africa:
http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/filea...Connection.pdf |
How do you become a jihadist? Iyad Ag Ghali, the untouchable. A refugee in southern Algeria, especially towards the town of Tinzawaten where he would own a house, the man regularly sailed through the dunes to the town of Abeybara from which he is originally from Mali.
https://www.nordsudjournal.com/comme...-lintouchable/ |
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ma...-idUKKBN2110HN
As we know this has become Sahel more than Sahara issue, but they were released near Kidal. 10 foreigners from 9 countries still in captivity. |
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Were they even kidnapped? They look to be unperturbed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGXAq4eVyyQ |
Urgent / Sahel: two Italian hostages detained in northern Mali give sign of life
https://airinfoagadez.com/2020/04/06...-signe-de-vie/ |
The 2nd Hostage
https://airinfoagadez.com/2020/04/07...ec-pier-luigi/
It appears the second hostage is an Italian, Nicola Chiacchio - a cyclist who went missing in Mali in September 2018, I think it was. I remember putting up or reading an alert here and was quickly told to take it down by another HUBB user as that was how his family wished to play it. Looks like it succeeded. His fate has been unknown until now and I assumed he'd been robbed and was buried in the desert somewhere. I also recall a picture of his yellow recumbent of something similar which would have been a struggle to propel on the sandy piste it was pictured on, let alone the time of year. And heading for Timbuktu seemed nuts, whichever way you looked at it. As the article above explains, he was determined to get there and set off from Douentza, having signed his way past a checkpoint. |
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