Near Aleg xmas eve 2007
 

I wrote this at another forum but thought I better put it here:

"This is old meat perhaps, but I am surprised noone has uncovered the real story about the attack near Aleg, Mauritania xmas eve 2007 (that led to the cancellation of Paris-Dakar)

We applied for Mali visas in Nouakchott on January 2, and when we talked to the consulate secretary about the security situation he opened a drawer and took out pictures (from their visa applications) of the French tourists who were killed/wounded - and what was publizised as an attack on a vacationing French family picnicking with children was likely something else.
The photos showed a middleaged man with two fullgrown sons. The fourth was also fullgrown, a friend of the family.
The secretary implied that it was a business deal gone wrong, and that perhaps they were dealing with arms.
I can only speculate, but I have never seen any updates on what really went down.
We passed Aleg peacefully two days later."

Haven't seen any recent updates on this - the last one I saw would suggest that they were indeed tourists

France 24 - world : 25/12/07 Two detained in manhunt for killers of French tourists

After the killings Nouakchott was abuzz with rumours about what had happened. I read news reports on the web and there was some confusion about what had happened and who the killers were. At first it was said to have been a robbery after the frenchmen exchanged 50 euros in Aleg, then this was denied by the interior ministry. French spokesmen "confirmed" that two of the dead were children, then they were all adults. Etc.

There were a number of arrests. I haven't read of any trials or sentencing.
Perhaps it was "Al Queda", prehaps not.

BBC NEWS | Africa | Arrests over Mauritania killings

Mauritanian car salesman arrested over French tourist murders < French news | Expatica France

more accurate
Four Tourists - including two brothers - shot dead in picnic massacre in Mauritania | Mail Online