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**Yves** · #1 30 Nov 2009

There is a gold mine in Akjoujt (in 97 it was still exploited, Don't know is stoll today). Old, abandoned Cooper mines too.

**Chris Scott** · #2 30 Nov 2009

AFAIK these Akjoujt mines (still extant) are simple, open cast 'surface scraping/blasting' operations, no?

Same in much of the Sahara like Arlit and Zouerat and Bou Craa and all the salt mines.

It's the whole point. Out there you don't need to dig down with the time, expense and danger, you just keep looking on the surface. Something economically viable will eventually turn up on the desert floor, especially with cheap local labour.

I could be wrong but I have to say I find this talk of tunnels (we heard it before in 2003) and kidnapping tunnel execs a bit on the far side. Choum railway tunnel (the only one in the country?) was, I suspect, a joke...

Funnily enough only the other day I passed on here how many tedious checkpoints there now were on this very road. Clearly not enough.
Anyway, I hope it ends well for the 3 Spanish - and the French guy too.

Ch

**saharanadventurer** · #3 30 Nov 2009

Agreed with Chris, kidnapping the director of a tunnel company to use his expertise to build tunnels in the Sahara doesn't make sense to me. More likely they'll ask for a hefty ransom. Just like mlock, I plan to travel this road myself in the near future and this has me concerned! From the photo of the vehicle, it looks like the attack was on the asphalted main road (and that would make sense too, why would they convoy off-road down to Dakar?). Hopefully, it was a targeted attack and us "normal" tourists are still safe...

**mlock** · #4 30 Nov 2009

Yes you said it right, hope to be targeted attack and leave us alone to ride... no matter we leave money to that countries, they want to kill us

**regulator** · #5 2 Dec 2009

Guess its just hoping not to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Just rode solo through Mauri, also went east. No problems and still alive.
Don't know if its the same convoy but think I overtook them in Morocco on the way south.

Regulator

**rob_NL** · #6 2 Dec 2009

How long is the drive from Nouadhibou to Nouakchott actually? About 5 or 6 hours I would guess?

**armadillo** · #7 10 Jun 2010

war and love

are the

father and mother

of everything

**priffe** · #8 15 Jun 2010

Yes war is also a form of communication. Terrorism too I reckon.
According to a Spanish magazine, the negotiations may come to an end.
Moratinos went to Nouakchott. Aqim want to be compensated for the astonishing amount paid in commission.
Exigen otros 2,5 millones de euros m�s para liberar a los dos voluntarios catalanes - 20minutos.es

Quote:

...it has expanded its demands because of the 4.1 million that Spain had already paid for their release in mid-February to only 1.6 million came AQMI. The rest stayed in the desert, as it was discounted in fees by the three agents who have participated in the negotiations....At first, came to ask AQMI 5.85 million euros, but then lowered its claim to 4.1 million....Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, spoke on Monday of the hostages in the brief visit he made to Mauritania. The Government is working daily to "dramatically increase the speed their release,"

**langebaan sunset** · #9 18 Dec 2009

This dropped in my inbox today.....

Contacts to free Europeans held by Al-Qaeda in Africa
By Serge Daniel (AFP)

BAMAKO — Intermediaries have contacted Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) to obtain the release of a Frenchman kidnapped in Mali and three Spaniards abducted in Mauritania, several sources said Friday....more here AFP: Contacts to free Europeans held by Al-Qaeda in Africa

Nick

**langebaan sunset** · #10 19 Dec 2009

Italian couple kidnapped in Mauritania - report Swissinfo

A diplomat in Mauritania told Reuters the incident seemed "more and more" like a kidnapping but it was not clear who was responsible. Malian security forces ...

Italian couple kidnapped in Mauritania - report - swissinfo

Looks like local gangs may be starting to jump on the band wagon

Worth monitoring

Nick

**priffe** · #11 22 Dec 2009

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE5BL1MR.htm

NOUAKCHOTT, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Mauritanian security forces have arrested a Malian suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of an Italian couple near the Mali-Mauritania border, security sources said on Tuesday.
Abderrahmane Ben Meddou, who was arrested in Mauritania's eastern town of Kobenni on Monday, is suspected of having helped identify and follow the Italian couple in return for promises of thousands of dollars, Mauritania's news agency reported.
The kidnapping is the latest in a string of seizures of foreigners by armed groups in West Africa, some of whom have links with al Qaeda's North African wing, AQIM.
"He was arrested in Kobenni by the gendarmes," a security source told Reuters, referring to the eastern Mauritanian town near to where the Italian couple's bullet-riddled car was found abandoned on Saturday.
The Malian is currently being questioned by the authorities in the capital, Nouakchott, the security sources added.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping but Italy said it is using all its political and diplomatic channels to try to secure the release of the couple.
Citing intelligence sources, Mauritania's AMI news agency said Ben Meddou has told officials that he had found and followed potential hostages in return for a promise of 10 million CFA francs ($21,810) at the end of the operation.
It was not immediately clear who Ben Meddou was working for but local media reports suggested the Italians, and three Spaniards taken last month in Mauritania, were kidnapped on the orders of various factions of AQIM.
Analysts and diplomats suspect the Italian couple have been taken into Mali's remote north, where other foreigners, including the Spaniards and a Frenchman al Qaeda says it is also holding, are believed to be.
Rather than carrying out kidnappings themselves, Islamists in the region are believed to rely on local gangs, generally involved in the smuggling of cigarettes, weapons, drugs and people, to seize foreigners who are then passed on to them.

**Ulrich** · #12 23 Dec 2009

Interesting article from RFI about the secret negotiatons to free the hostages.

Quote:

Negotiations have started to release the four European hostages, including French kidnapped in northern Mali. RFI correspondent in Mali, Serge Daniel was able to meet the key man of all ongoing negotiations. Three Spaniards and French were abducted late November 2009, operations claimed by the Maghreb branch of al-Qaeda.

Des tractations secrètes pour libérer les otages européens

Google translation

Regards

Ulrich

**mlock** · #13 23 Dec 2009

i think the end is near....

i hope the best for the hostages and have good christmans

**Ulrich** · #14 24 Dec 2009

The mauritanian Imam Abu Hanna has written an handbook for AQMI how to handle hostages.

Quote:

The fate of the Spanish hostages by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) depends largely on one man: Rahman, Abu Hanna, the judge called the desert, a religious leader that there is only one photograph which appears in videos, hidden under his turban while launching incendiary harangues about the need to create a new Caliphate and an Islamic government in the Maghreb. Speeches that always end with the tagline: "I pray to Allah to die for jihad".

El Pais - En manos del juez del desierto

Gogoonisch - English

Also interesting: The involvement of an mauritanien police-officer at the abduction.

Quote:

Stop the Security element in the Mauritanian Mauritanian gendarmerie sergeant first suspect his involvement in the kidnapping of Spanish nationals in Mauritania and Mali, and two other part of the campaign carried out by the Mauritanian security to pursue al-Qaeda in the desert who are accustomed to in recent kidnapping ·

Djazair - إيقاف ضابط برتبة رقيب أول بالدرك الموريتاني متورط في عملية اختطاف الرهائن الإسبان

Gogoonisch - English

Regards

Ulrich

**Ulrich** · #15 26 Dec 2009

Quote:

BAMAKO, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Malian authorities are making progress in negotiations with al Qaeda gunmen holding three Spaniards and a Frenchman hostage, a source close to the talks said on Saturday.

Reuters - Mali progressing in talks to free hostages -source