Portrait of MBM and his defection from Aqim

http://news.yahoo.com/ap-exclusive-r...234930080.html

MBM's group merges with MUJAO
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23796920

Latest map below

I'm also told by two established Tam agencies that that south of Algeria is currently closed to foreign tourists (though others contradict this).

Ch

This month the four remaining French hostages from Areva have spent three years in captivity.
According to the former US ambassador to Bamako, a sum total of 66 million euros have been paid in ransoms since 2004.
Of these 12 million were handed over to the Mali government for release of the above hostages, who relayed at least some of it to AQIM , but something went wrong.

France paid millions for Niger hostages who were not freed, ex-US ambassador claims - Mali - France - United States - RFI

The last hostage taken Gilbert Leal was picked up in November last year in Diema, Mali. Almost a year now without kidnappings!

It is time for tourists to return to Mali and Mauretania.
Tchad is seeing many tourists this year, even a desert race is being organized
http://www.le-treg.com//en/le-treg/la-course.html
flying into Faya Largeau with Point Afrique.

A new analysis of the current happenings on El Watan:
Sahel : Les nouvelles stratégies du terrorisme - International - El Watan

Hmmmm.. in this article, they claim that the French have poisoned the wells to keep the fighters from coming back. It seems pretty unlikely, so I wonder if El Watan's sources aren't just rumors.

Probably over 90% of what appears in the press on the topic are unconfirmed rumors, but El Watan is one of the closest to the mouth of the horse...

What's the verdict?
 

So, is Mali safe enough for travellers to visit Tombuctu now?

Do we need to get ourselves into convoys to lessen the chance of kidnapping?

Do we need the army to accompany us?

Or, do we simply just go believing there will now be no problems for non beligerent travellers?

In this part of the world, a part that is very attractive to some of us, the only way there will be winners is if the shooting stops and the talking starts. When people are so into religion that they will kill you to make their point there is not a lot of hope of a solution but talking means less suffering on both sides.

Anyone interested in going at the end of the year?

Ali P.

You can go anywhere the military will let you.

There's been no kidnappings this year.
But the north is not stable yet. There are skirmishes between army and touaregs, like last week near the Mauri border (Foyta)

Mali just had the best elections ever. Tourists will start returning. There'll be plenty of us in Mali and Mauretania this year.

New video from Aqim, dated June 27, of the seven hostages
ani.mr original release
AFP: Al-Qaeda releases 'credible' hostage video
BBC News - Al-Qaeda 'releases foreign hostage video'

@ All writers here:

Thank you much, for keeping us updated!

There is no other Source of Information available who provide so much compressed information about the topic. That saves many travellers hours of googling. :thumbup1:

Surfy

I would agree, and that is one of the reasons this is the most (?) read thread on the HUBB. The writing has been somewhat curtailed, as we were asked to keep it relevant to travel. Still, I would like to discuss what is going on in Ubari, Libya right now as this will have impact on future Saharian travel.
MBM is building a new movement, protected by Malian (not local) tuaregs who have moved to the area.
There are people here who know the region and others with long experience from the Sahara.

There are two hostages missing from the video.
Serge Lazarevic, who was abducted from the hostel in Hombori two years ago (together with Philippe Verdon. Verdon was executed by Aqim in March 2013).
And Gilberto Leal, abducted in Diema a year ago.
Perhaps they are held by another group, or in another location?

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...andout_afp.jpg.

Has this video actually been released to the public? I see some news quote that a News Editor in Morocco was arrested for releasing a video for Al Qaeda
Magoo2

The south of Libya became inaccessible to regular tourism even before MBM and the rest moved in. And reports of speedy northern transits between Tunisia and Egypt seem to have died down this year.
You'd hope it won't take 10 years of ever-bolder attacks/abductions, as was the case in north Mali, for action to be taken in southern Libya (article), but that must depend on what they get up to. You'd suppose they pass the time running day-to-day trafficking, but Ubari is a lot nearer to eastern Algeria's gas installations than Ametetai. If In Amenas last Jan was organised from Mali, you'd imagine doing more of the same from Ubari would be less difficult to pull off. As we know MBM's outfit hit Agadez and Arlit from Libya last May. But until foreigners [BP, etc] come back in, you'd assume hitting Libya's installations would be seen as below the belt and perhaps pointless?

Elsewhere south Algeria seems closed to foreigners according to various agencies (others contradict).
Egypt and the Gilf seem to be a bureaucratic free-for-all.
North Chad seems a bright spot, but to get there overland is a long, expensive trek. Better to fly in.
Morocco and WS - business as usual.
Mauritania - the usually visited places in the south and west of the country still seem to be accessible, albeit with a bit more supervision than before.
Northeast Niger - presumably under the influence of AQIM-types and associated traffickers.
North Mali - well few ever went beyond Timbuktu/Gao since the Tanezrouft piste closed. I don't suppose that will reopen soon, but will be a positive sign if it does.

Short version IMO: largely FUBAR'd for years to come.

Ch

PS: Serge Lazarevic was claimed by AQIM two years ago, but perhaps by another faction from the 7. Gilberto Leal was thought to be with MUJAO - does that include MBM's new group? Who knows.

Thanks for a cheerful outlook bier
but probably true - Libya, south Algeria. N. Niger and N. Mali won't be accessible for a long time.
Libyan border patrols reporting 'tents of Al Qaeda' are told to close their eyes.
Trafic transfrontalier dans le Sud libyen | Afrique | DW.DE | 17.09.2013
borders wide open.
Niger welcomes armed drones http://www.trust.org/item/20130918153035-3ya1t
The Swedish hostage was on television this morning, filmed in June.

Mali now
bombs went off in Kidal and TB2 the other day. Suicide bombers in TB2.
also
Winning: France Seeks Permanent Victory In Mali

I heard of the large cache of arms they had found near the border, and thought it was on the Libyan side - but no, this was near Illizi!
Hundreds of RPGs, anti-air craft missiles, MANPADs, rocket launchers, land mines, beside the usual rifles and ammo.
UPDATE 2-Algerian troops find huge arms cache on Libya border | Reuters

With news of the release of the long held hostages from Arlit (see
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-niger-52742-4) one wonders whether there will now be more kidnappings and if so, where and what kind of groups will be targeted.

There is no proof at all that a ransom was paid for the Arlit hostages but most, I think, would be very surprised if there were less than tens of millions that changed hands. I say that because a) the hostages were employed by a company and were not regular tourists with much less access to money b) they were held for three years and, in objective terms, would have been expensive to keep.

Will others be targeted now that the Arlit hostages are free? A 'yes' argument goes like this:
a) the kidnappers now have the money (see speculation above) and the renewed confidence that money will be paid
b) the kidnappers now have more resources with fewer people to hold captive and can afford to take more captives given that the resolution with the Arlit hostages came even after the events in N Mali where the bandits were effectively chased out (in other words, the concept of hostages for ransom is alive and well, not withstanding the turbulent times in the Sahara)
c) It has been nearly a year since a hostage was taken

Who will be targeted, tourists or workers from abroad?
The Arlit event seems to have proved that a patient, long wait will yield the money. So even though 3 years was a record in the Sahara in terms of holding captives, it was most likely their most profitable haul.
Is it easier to take tourists with a faster pay rate by governments though lower overall pay per person? We will see the answer to this from how the currently held hostages from Timbuktu and Diema work out.


A 'no' argument for no more immediate kidnappings could be:
The bandits now have the money they want and will focus on regrouping in the changed Saharan security situation (harder in Mali, easier in Libya).


On balance, I am surprised that hostages in Libya have not been taken. That means yes, kidnappings will continue. I would expect that the prime targets would be expats in Libya.

The ransom paid, unofficially, by the French was in excess of €20 million.
Otages d’Arlit : une rançon a été versée
A lot of money to play with, perhaps and hopefully there will ensue a big fight over the loot.

Kidnappings could happen anywhere in the triangle Benghazi - Bamako - Abuja I think.
It has been pointed out that the kidnappings of westerners in northern Nigeria did not bear the marks of Boko Haram, but rather that of Algerians being involved.
allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Jacob Zenn - On Terrorism and Insurgency in Northern Nigeria

SE Algeria is awfully close to where MBM and his cohorts are regrouping in Libya. I hear that the Djanet plateau will remain closed for tourism, but there are some tourists around anyway. Perhaps as you say it is a better idea kidnapping expatriats working for big oil etc, easier to extract money then.
The Swede who was kidnapped in TB2, I don't know who is negotiating on his behalf; Swedish governement have little experience with similar situations. I suspect they are delegating the job to the French.
Dutch troops are being stationed in N Mali, and Algerian troops are being moved to the Libyan border. Can they keep it under surveillance? Libya is unstable all the way from Ghadames to Ghat, with militias filling the role of governement.
It is estimated that one third of Aqim in Mali were killed during operation Serval, another third have deserted, and most of the remaining third, around 500, have retreated to Libya.
But there are still pockets in Mali, with suicide attacks in Gao, Kidal, Aguelhoc and Tessalit. And the french hostages are said to have been released in E Mali.

Land mine explosion between Ansongo and Menaka. Mali is truly a mess at the moment. More here:
Truck hits landmine in Mali - 4 dead | News24

(note, its not necessarily AQIM who planted the mine).

Late edit to this landmine posting:
Until now it was thought that Mali is clear of mines.
Now we know Mali is not free of landmines.
The reason the landmines are in Mali now most likely relates to the insurgency of AQIM and its splinter groups (whether or not AQIM placed the mines).
The landmine posting here is highly relevant to overlanders because
a) landmines remain active for decades
b) information on them is scarce and in some places not up to date.

Expensive Business
 

If Areva settled the bounty and Governments are saying no pay, then pity the poor traveller who gets taken and has no big daddy company behind them to pay. The monies asked are way beyond any individuals/family's means. Maybe there should be some insurance cover that Horizons Unlimited can set up that we all contribute to at the start of our trips?

Any time you capitulate and pay a ransom you up the anti for the next person. If these guys never get a penny ransom then the whole idea of kidnapping will be finished as there is no incentive. I would not contribute to a fund to pay ransom and I would strongly recommend no one else set up such a fund or contribute to such a fund.

Personally, I don't WANT anyone to pay a ransom for me if I were kidnapped.

Hey Cruizer I get your drift. Just one question........ Can you tell us what you would do if it was your son.... or your daughter.... or your wife that was abducted and held???

I really can't say unless I were in that unfortunate place. What I can say is if no ransoms were being paid now we could all worry A LOT less later.

Would stopping ransom payments totally stop all kidnappings? Probably not, but it would certainly stop the kidnappings for cash.

They would probably shoot you at sight then, if kidnapping wasn't an option. Like they did with the French journalists when car broke down. But they are slowly being evicted from Mali.
Yesterday Belmohktar's second, a Mauritanian, was killed by French troops west of Tessalit.
Serval | Mali : le bras droit de Belmokhtar tué par l'armée française
And three French soldiers had their ear drums pierced by a mine on the outskirts of Kidal.
Hope they can get to Abdelkrim and his gang of tuareg jihadists.
One had hopes that tuaregs would be wise enough to come together to make their region secure and able to prosper. If the rebellion has taught us anything, it is that, sadly, they are very far from capable of governing their own land.

That is definitely a possibility. I tend to think though, that they would not go out looking for Westerners to kidnap in that case. It would be more crimes of opportunity or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Both of those scenarios can happen elsewhere as well so it then levels the playing field.

One need only to look at the guy in Paris who shot a newspaper photographer. That's not confined to just areas where the AQIM hang out.

Personally I'd be more comfortable with the chance I might be in the wrong place at the wrong time then having the AQIM out hunting for me for a ransom demand.

Remember, all those kidnapped for ransom don't get out alive all the time either. These guys will bump you off once you are no longer worth their while to hold you for cash.

The first sentence is true - not all make it back. But I don't think the evidence of the many kidnappings in the Sahara since 2003 squares with your second sentence CG. My take is that the executions of Saharan hostages have usually had an ideological/political edge to them. It hasn't been the case that no cash = execution. In the case of the AREVA mine hostages, for example, AQIM were prepared to wait 3 years for the cash.

Also noteworthy, and as you've already discussed, you are very likely to be killed if you put up a fight early on in the drama. Thereafter (meaning a few months on) AQIM have tolerated escape attempts, shouting matches, defiance and so on without executing those concerned. The Austrian couple who were kidnapped in Tunisia and held in N Mali tried to escape several times. Once they got to a nearby village. They were not executed.

I still reckon that an insurance payment by all bikers going on a trip that covers even/only the costs of hiring an "independent negotiator" to establishes what "the demands" really are. You hear of all the families in distress (listen to the French families) with their husbands/fathers/sons being taken, not getting clear information of any demands made ie cash, prisoner release/exchange, amnesty etc I accept that prisoner swops have to be at Government levels of negotiations but at least one would then know something concrete is happening.

I hear that at a meeting in Kuwait that it was discussed that anyone who pays a ransom can/should be criminally charged.

If I were taken hostage I would be pretty keen to have that insurance paying for the negotiator, if not more. Being held for even a few weeks must be a very, very difficult thing and one that is hard to imagine without the incident actually happening to you. But it is also true that having such insurance is accommodating the kidnapping process - it is ramping up the business model of the kidnappers. It will, for one, institutionalise well paid middle-men for example. It will soon become in the interests of the middle men that kidnappings occur from time to time.

Sadly the only way to ensure that you won't get kidnapped in the Sahara is not to go to the Sahara. Even then, the range of operations of the kidnappers will simply expand in response - as it did in the Indian Ocean piracy issue. There was a time when that piracy was just off the Horn of Africa and only in the transition seasons (March and October) when the monsoon winds are not strong. But then, when navies began making the piracy more difficult in the immediate Horn of Africa, it expanded to the Indian Ocean even south of the equator - e.g. Seychelles. In the case of the Sahara kidnappings, the expansion has taken the form of an arc of kidnapping extending from Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon through Niger, Algeria and Mali and on to the Atlantic coast in Mauri. That's a lot of country. My feeling is that it will take many years for the kidnapping business to recede. So long as we have the ungoverned regions like Libya and N Niger, we will have no improvement. The regime change in Libya was a naive move by NATO. It could not have been worse timing for security in North Africa as a whole.

I agree, if they think there is a chance to get some cash they will keep holding you. If there is NO chance of any cash forthcoming they will either dump or execute hostages.

If there is NEVER a chance for financial profit I think the total number of kidnappings would decrease. In that case those at risk would be political or ideological targets not your average guy out on vacation (unless they come from or are connected with a country/concern the kidnapper has issues with).

I think the French have a reputation for paying ransoms which means the French have a higher chance of being kidnapped for financial ransoms. The same goes for any businesses operating in the Sahara.

Then you have things like InAmenas where they attack a gas plant, that's an ideological target, cash is not important and hostages lives are not important. They simply are out to make a political statement.

Mauretania and Chad are good destinations to visit now if you wish to see the Sahara.
Point-Afrique Voyages
There are tourists in Djanet at the moment, but still waiting to hear if the plateau will be open this season.

I think the French are in for the long haul now, not leaving north Mali to the Minusma African forces. And the Malian army is still in shambles. But the French just signed a counter-terrorism deal with Mauretania Mauritania, France sign security agreement | Magharebia
also working with Dakar and Bamako
I think the jihadist criminal networks are facing a hard time now in Mauretania, Mali and the rest of West Africa. Remains the north of Nigeria, most of Niger and Libya that are out of control. If something positive happened with the Western Sahara situation, that would also improve security.
And lead to open borders between Morocco and Algeria. Which would be a wonderful opportunity for desert travel, while also posing new security challenges.

Britain has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that calls on countries to prevent the payment of kidnap ransoms to extremist groups, like al-Qaeda, which have earned hundreds of millions of dollars from such crimes.

Don’t pay ransoms to terrorists, UK urges | News24

My reading is that hostage negotiations will become more sticky in the future, even if the resolution isn't taken forward. If the UN resolution is successful, for the tactic of not paying ransoms to have the effect of driving down the kidnapping rate, someone, somewhere who is kidnapped will have to sit for a long time to prove the point. I wouldn't want to be that person.

NO ONE "want's" to be that person but everyone would be grateful if the kidnapping rate/threat was severely reduced by the non-payment of ransom demands.

The BBC's Frank Gardner on payments made for hostages. Lots of interesting stuff in the report including

They believe the number of groups doing it is up and so is the going rate - from $4m per hostage in the Sahara in 2010, to well over $5m today.

They point to recent events in Mali as the clearest illustration yet.

This year's fighting there followed last year's near-takeover of the whole country by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) - an al-Qaeda franchise grown rich on ransoms paid for Spanish, Swiss and Italian hostages.

When French forces entered caves abandoned by jihadist fighters in the north of Mali, they found a letter from the regional al-Qaeda commander Abdulmalik Droukdal to his counterpart in Yemen, in which he declared that "most of the battle costs were met by spoil from the hostages".

Well it is a damn shame that they are paying out these HUGE ransoms; that policy is bound to draw attention from entrepreneurs all over the globe, not least in the Sahara and Sahel where making a fortune in any other way seems near impossible, and feeding your family and at times even mere survival is a challenge.
At least this time they are not just handing over the cash; they are also going after the crooks. Enfin.
Just wish they could do something about SW Libya also, preferrably empower the local good forces to throw the bandits out. Or that will become the new world capital of Breaking Bad. Well there is also Benghazi. Hopefully those guys will go after each other instead of bothering peaceful travellers.

And south of Algeria, who knows what is really going on? No tourists, no journalists, no foreigners, noone is keeping an eye on the situation. Statoil released a report on the In Amenas incident, that showed they haven't understood much, going to rely even more on private security providers.

Bouteflika is dying in Algiers, like Castro in Havana. French and Americans are trying to deal with the ageing leadership of the country, the guys who started a revolution half a century ago. Same thing happened all over Africa, but all those guys are long gone, Mandela being the last, and he was buried the other day. Only parallell to Algeria is Cuba in that sense. Something is about to change, quite soon, but what is it? What is the new thing that will emerge?

The In Amenas gas plant crisis happened a year ago tomorrow. Alg is still struggling to put security in place and get foreign workers back on site. Meanwhile there are reports of what else is happening in the country - for example:
"Military sources, cited by independent Algerian daily El-Watan, indicated recently that 20 000 troops had been deployed along the country's eastern and southern frontiers, with another 1 500 combing the region day and night, assisted by continuous air cover.
"Military command has sent the majority of its aircraft to Ouargla and Tamanrasset [in southern Algeria] as the main bases for intervention," said one of the sources.
Helicopters and Seeker II drones equipped with hi-tech reconnaissance equipment are able to carry out surveillance missions and precision air strikes.
There are indications that Algeria's heightened security arrangements are paying off, with several Islamist convoys having been destroyed between Tamanrasset in the far south and Illizi in the southeast, according to the military source."

Fears linger at Algeria gas plant | News24

The last paragraph is helpful in understanding the issues of travel in the south. It is clear that the last thing the Alg Military want is tourists travelling around on pistes between Djanet/Illizi and Tam.

There is news of another land mine exlosion in Mali - this one 30 km from Kidal.
More details here:

5 injured as UN vehicle in Mali hits landmine | News24

And another posting on this thread about land mines in Mali.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-35#post442577

Until recently, it was thought that Mali is clear of mines.
Now we know Mali is not free of landmines.
The reason for the landmines are in Mali now relates almost certainly to the insurgency of AQIM and its splinter groups (whether or not AQIM placed the mines).
The landmine posting here is highly relevant to overlanders notwithstanding the lack of current travel in N Mali because
a) landmines remain active for decades
b) information on them is scarce.
c) The area was thought to be mine free

Red Corss kidnapping Northern Mali
 

The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa have claimed responsibility for kidnapping 5 people, 4 from the Red Cross, on the piste from Gao to Kidal.
"Thanks to God we seized a 4X4 [vehicle] of the enemies of Islam with their accomplices," Mujao official Yoro Abdoulsalam said, confirming it was the ICRC team reported missing in recent days.

More here:
Mali: Jihadists claim kidnap of ICRC team | News24

So Red Cross thought an escort was optional.

Here some tidbits about kidnappings: who, how, etc.
Interesting how they have set up chains of informants
with hotels, agences de voyages, etc, to receive
information. Using money and intimidation to get
what they want. Perhaps better NOT make reservations?! :/
Diplomates enlevés : Les difficiles négociations d'Alger - Actualité - El Watan

This is especially damaging as any agency or individual guide/driver
may be targeted. And all they have to provide is a time and location.

More landmine explosions in N Mali -
This time between Kidal and the airport

2 aid workers hurt in landmine blast in Mali | News24

Drone war in NE Mali
French, Mali troops kill 10 suspected Islamist militants - chicagotribune.com

The Guardian/Le Monde on the situation in NE Mali.
Jihadists return to northern Mali a year after French intervention | World news | Guardian Weekly

No more red beard
 

The bloke implicated in kidnapping Algerian diplomats in Gao in April 2012, Omar Ould Hamaha, aka red beard, has been killed by French forces in the Amettetai Valley, Kidal region. Drones at work by all accounts.

French kill jihadist commander in Mali | News24

MBM again

Belmokhtar empire based on crime | Magharebia

Nearly a month old, but have not seen this bit of news picked up anywhere... :

Algerian army confiscate 40 missiles near Libyan border | Shanghai Daily

News from nothern Mali
http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/mali.../20140328.aspx

The French now have a permanent base in Tessalit, and a presence of 1600 troops. This is quite a change for the Sahara.
Using drones for surveillance and helicopter gunships for attack. Partnering with the Americans.
Tuaregs are fractioning again along tribal lines, idnan vs ifoghas.
Algeria headed for presidential elections April 17 with the ailing Bouteflika running for a fourth term, have sent 100,000 troops to the southern and eastern borders. Perhaps they will finally come to accept the fact that Morocco is not their main enemy.

French raid near Timbuktu to free the aid workers

BBC News - French troops free aid workers kidnapped in northern Mali

MUJAO just reported that French hostage Leal is dead "because France is our enemy" as they said, without providing any details.
Mali: Le groupe djihadiste Mujao annonce la mort de l'otage français Gilberto Rodrigues Leal - 20minutes.fr

If true that leaves four Europeans still in captivity, presumably in north Mali.
Serge Lazarevic, one of the 'geologists' snatched in November 2011 at Hombori, and the Dutch, Swedish and a South African/Brit) taken from Timbuktu a day later.

http://saharaoverland.wordpress.com/kidnappings/

So no bombings and no kidnappings for a year?

Al Qaeda on the run

After destroying the tombs in TB2 the salafists are now reportedly busy destroying rock art in SW Libya, since God don't like it
Libye : Les salafistes wahhabites libyens détruisent un site de 12.000 ans d’âge | Algérie 1

The return of Belmokhtar...

Algeria confronts terror threat | Magharebia

Doesn't look like things have improved much in the Kidal/Gao area:


BBC News - Mali Tuareg rebels kidnap officials amid deadly clashes

Mohktar Belmohktar arrested by American Special Ops in Libya Monday?
Mokhtar Belmokhtar dit (Le borgne) aurait été arrêté
only one source. If correct, he was in Benghazi when new strongman general Hifter
Also, tuareg rebels have ran the Malian army out of Kidal in a carnage.

Ignorant bastards!!!!!

Possible presence of US, French and Alg troops in south Libya
U.S. Special Forces ‘sent on Libya mission’ | World | Ammon News

For the first time since independence (?) Algerian troops are fighting on foreign soil. 5000 men engaged in SW Libya. In cooperation with French troops watching the Chadian border, and Americans in Niger and 500-800 stationed in Spain. Impressive forces purportedly lined up with the possible goal of securing the Libyan desert (Ghadames, Ghat, Ubari, Sebha....), but really only one source for this story so far.

Libye : L’Algérie a commencé les opérations commando - A la une - El Watan
U.S. Special Forces ‘sent on Libya mission’ | Henry Jackson Society

El Watan is usually well informed, while their stories on occasion may have a touch of added spice, they are mostly based on factual information. With the buildup of French forces in N. Chad and the stories filtering out from S. Libya, this was to be expected for some time...

In 2 weeks from now, these guys will have been hostage for 1000 days

We all know that N.Mali is difficult at the moment and has been so for several years.

Its no surprise then that kidnappings and strife continue in the region. However there are elements to a recent report involving the kidnapping of a Taureg man by AQ linked insurgents that are worth noting here. First, the Taureg (and four other Tauregs) were thought to be providing intelligence to the French military and second, the Taureg was beheaded. The latter detail echoes events elsewhere in other trouble spots but one which hasn't been a feature of Saharan troubles.

Tuareg man decapitated in Mali | News24

A game changer, these beheadings-for-propaganda?
Makes me worry about the four travellers still kept hostage. One Swede, one Brit/SA, one Dutchman, and one French. Also makes me less eager to go anywhere in Algeria or eastern Mali.
The bearded guys still need the ransom money, don't they?

@priffe: if MBM is now sponsored by ISIS oil money from Syria, than kidnapped fellow travelers future is sadly uncertain.

What about Mauritania?
 

Hi all,

Considering the current unrest coming from IS. Is this affecting Mauritania as well??
Am about to overland to Senegal and than further on, but started to get a bit worried regarding the threats.
Any word on the ground?

Thanks, safe travels!

Welcome to the forum GM.
There is no evidence that I know of that the latest IS related issues have emerged in Mauritania. If you go back a few years, AQIM were active there but two fundamental things happened:
1) The Mauri military clamped down hard
2) The AQIM head quarters in N.Mali was attacked by conventional French led forces (2012).
As a result, AQIM had little freedom to move in Mauri and had their hands-full in N Mali. We suspect they mostly de-camped to S.Libya (possibly also N.Niger) .

As I understand things, the main AQIM related (loosely used) insurgents that are still in N.Mali or are in S.Libya (or N.Niger) have yet to formally link with IS though the beheading in N.Mali over the last week reported elsewhere on STF is an ominous sign that they are thinking that way.

For now, Mauri is one of the very few Saharan countries that is in reasonable shape for travel.

Thanks Richard, that's of great help!
I think, we'll just go for it and keep our eyes and ears open.

AQIM Libya-Niger-Mali convoy ambushed
 

French forces have reported intercepting an AQIM convoy in Niger travelling from Libya to Mali:
BBC News - Al-Qaeda convoy en route to Mali 'destroyed' by French

The report is vague on any details but confirms that AQIM are in Libya, Niger and Mali (still). Reports of arms being transported from Libya to Mali date to 2011.

It is also clear that French forces monitor the traffic through Niger which makes that region risky for travel regardless of AQIM as overlanders might not be identified as such (not that there are any out there at the moment).

The French are setting up a base in Madama, northern Niger, near the Libyan border.
French troops edge closer to Libya border to cut off Islamists | Reuters

This is the location of the military base at Madama:
21°56'42.82"N
13°38'47.21"E

It is east of the Djado Plateau on on the piste from Libya to Niger.
See description from others passing through (including gvdaa) when the Marlboro piste was once a possibility:
Sahara Overland ~ the book and online resource

Just had this through:

An undisclosed number of aid workers were reportedly kidnapped from the town of Dar Salam, located in Mali's northern Timbuktu region, according to reports released on 15 October. The nationalities of the hostages, who are believed to be employees of the Handicap International non-governmental organisation (NGO), have not yet been disclosed.

Sjaak Rijke
 

New video on Sjaak Rijke (kidnapped three years ago in Timbuktu with 2 others):
https://archive.org/details/aqmi1435

also here (possibly quicker loading)

thanks to BB for passing this on

Serge Lazarevic released
 

Released today it says:
BBC News - Last French hostage Lazarevic freed in Mali

"There are no more French hostages in any country in the world," Mr Hollande said.
The French government has repeatedly denied paying ransoms for hostages.

No news of the three others (Brit/SA, NL, SWE) all grabbed at the same time (and a day after Lazarevic) in Timbuktu in Nov 2011.

Next day: Turns out Lazarevic was swapped for two or more AQIM prisoners held in Mali.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30414320

Ch

Islamist leader Ag Ghali back in Kidal
 

https://translate.google.co.uk/trans...-text=&act=url

"Europeans can send as many drones they want. They will not find us,"

Deadly attack in Tunis
 

After last week's attack in Bamako, now this

BBC News - Tunis attack: Gunmen kill tourists in museum rampage

Madama, Niger
 

There was a time when the Marlborough route from Libya to Niger was a modestly popular Saharan crossing discussed on this forum. We haven't heard much about the piste for years. Following the NATO fiasco in Libya, that route now seems to be one of the key infiltration points of arms from Libya to Nigeria and Mali. Here is a report from Thomas Fessy who has spent a lot of time recently in the Sahara.
BBC News - France - the Saharan policeman

The French have set up military posts in northern Niger, including at Madama (21 56 53 N, 13 38 47 E) which was once the check-in point for overlanders in Niger when arriving from Libya.

The arms smugglers apparently drop into Northern Niger from Libya and then hug the Niger/Algerian border on their way to Mali, presumably so that they can cross over to one side or another if met with resistance. The cross-border tactic has long been used in the Sahara and has since been adopted in Nigeria/Cameroon.

Mauritania endangered?
 

Terror triumvirate: ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram training together in Mauritania: analyst

Terror triumvirate: ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram training together in Mauritania: analyst | Fox News

Would be nice to think it's the same Fox analyst who was ridiculed recently over Islam in the UK.

The Matamoulana mentioned in the text is also the place pictured without a caption is actually here, a regular desert village afaik, 120km southeast of NKT and about as far from Zouerat (mentioned as another centre for jihadism) as you can get in Mori.

Did not hear about the prison riot and its consequences, though.

French troops rescue Dutchman Sjaak Rijke held in Mali since 2011
 

Finally http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ince-2011.html

This is great news, I hope Mr. Sjaak Rijke will recover completely from this ordeal. Still, Stephen Malcolm McGown, a South African and Johan Gustafson, a Swedish national, are missing.

It was near Tessalit. One would think the two remaining hostages may be in the same area.

http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/afr...mi_869691.html

Thanks Priffe, nice documentary.

Passe de Salvador - best way to visit this part of the S.Dessert at the mo:-

https://www.facebook.com/theatrumbel...8927300124075/

Foreign Legion para drop earlier this month. Go get 'em les gars et vive la legion etrangere! bier

Sahara desert gun battle yields drugs haul, says France - BBC News

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/med..._barkhane2.jpg

Could just be the same old chestnut but rather good news if true:-

Libya says veteran 'uncatchable' militant killed in U.S. strike | Reuters

Belmohktar was probably outside smoking when they bombed the building. :cool4:
Not much talked about but rather ominous was the terrorist attack by Ansar Dine on a check point at Misseni, south of Sikasso, on the ivorian border, June 10.
Armed attacks in southern Mali underscore heightened risks of Islamist militants' operations spreading south - IHS Jane's 360

Attack
 

Well thats a Nasty Development !!:(

New video from the Malian desert today
higher production value but still way behind ISIS
Both the Swede Gustafsson and the Brit/SA Stephen Malcolm
are in the video
They look ok, esp considering it has been 3 1/2 years now


Video was removed from youtube, but parts are still available in media
http://tv.aftonbladet.se/abtv/articles/82322

And a detail from an accompanying article about the video release:
"
The two men, from Sweden and South Africa, were seized in the desert city of Timbuktu in November 2011, weeks before secular and Islamist rebels took over Mali's north.

A German man with them was shot dead during the capture while a Dutch hostage was discovered by chance and freed during a raid by French commandos in April 2015."
Mali hostages, including SA man, plead for release in video | News24

I didn't realise that the Dutch hostage was released following a raid. I had assumed at the time that money had changed hands.

The release of the video is no coincidence, it is intended to put pressure on the negotiators. The family of the Swede are in Mali and most likely this will end shortly.
Inshallah etc....

The vegetation (trees and headwear 3:32) looked unusually lush for les paysages lunaires of far northern Mali where Sjaak Rijke was supposedly rescued.

Perhaps the hostages have been relocated to the south in anticipation of their hand over and the purpose of the video is to have one last swing at the French 'impeders'.

But if they do, AQIM will have have no more bargaining chips as protection (not that that's stopped the French before).

Well let's see - Rijke was held with Lazarevic and Verdon in the north by Abdelkrim. Verdon died, Lazarevic was let go against ransom/release of prisoners. Then Rijke was accidentally freed near Tessalit in a French midnight raid. And finally French troops took out Abdelkrim and his closest associates.
The Swede and Brit are probably held by Mujao in the Menaka region. They also held Gilberto Rodriguez Leal who died in their custody. Now these two are the last hostages.
It does look like the era of kidnappings is coming to an end, for various reasons.

Malian jihadist attacks
 

Mali : des jihadistes présumés prennent le contrôle d'une ville proche de la Côte d'Ivoire - JeuneAfrique.com

Essentially they've attacked at Nara on the Mauri border & now there's been second attack in the south near the Ivorian border.

What is running through my head is the possibility of chaos being caused during the Ivorian elections in October.

Kidnappings in Libya again.
Libya violence: Italian construction workers kidnapped - BBC News

Second event in a short time. Previous event was in March
Libya violence: Foreign oil workers 'kidnapped' - BBC News

Not sure what happened after the March event. Seems to have gone silent?

New kidnap occurred in Egyptian desert. 31 years old, Croatian nationality, father of two kids, working for French company CGG Veritas from Paris, was kidnaped 5 days ago. No voice, who did it till now. Egyptian secret police inspecting whole situation.

More in Croatian language: TKO JE U EGIPTU OTEO MLADOG HRVATA? Niti peti dan nakon otmice nitko se nije javio... Ovo su 4 moguća razloga otmice - mJutarnji

Aid organization is getting involved in liberating the last two hostages in Mali

http://townhall.com/news/world/2015/...tages-n2029285

Part of the reason why kidnappings are rare these days and also why they are so protracted is the FTAT (Foreign Terrorist Asset Tracking) that the Americans started after 9/11.

Mali hotel siege: Gunmen take hostages in deadly raid - BBC: Mali hotel siege: Gunmen take hostages in deadly raid - BBC News

*****

Croatian hostage is already sold to ISIS. All praying for miracle, on the other side worst case scenario is expected.

On Croatian language: BAZA U KOJOJ JE BIO SMJEŠTEN UOPĆE NIJE IMALA ČUVARE! Rođaci uvjereni da je snimka stara deset dana: 'Pogledajte mu bradu! Sumnjamo da mu daju da se brije' - mJutarnji

Looks like the siege in Sevare, Mali is over.
Mali hotel siege: Twelve killed in Sevare, four UN workers saved - BBC News

To clarify: the Croatian has been kidnapped in Cairo.
Croatian Citizen Kidnapped In Egypt | ATW News

Sad news, as seems kidnapped Croatian young father was decapitated by IS - BBC: Tomislav Salopek: Croatia PM to speak on Egypt hostage - BBC News

Traveling through the Egypt seems these days highly risky.