Two Soldiers Killed In Mali as Suicide Attacks Continue

Over the weekend, officials confirmed that two Malian soldiers were killed and several others were wounded in a suicide attack near Gao, demonstrating that rebel groups in desert hideouts continue to launch isolated attacks against the French and Malian forces.

The latest suicide attack took place in the village of Hamakouladji, located 40 km (25 miles) north of Gao.  The attack occurred when several militants managed to detonate their explosives as a patrol passed through the village.

Two Malian soldiers and at least two Islamist militants were killed in the attack which occurred on Saturday.  According to Colonel Kassim Goita, a senior commander of Malian troops in the northern town of Gao, the attack took place when soldiers followed a suspect on a motorcycle, which parked next to a vehicle which blew up as they approached.  Colonel Goita further indicated that eight soldiers had been wounded and that clashes were ongoing in the area.

Gao was the first major town to be freed from Islamist control.  It is also the hub for both the French and Malian military operations.  However the town has continued to bear a major brunt of the guerrilla-war fought by militants since they scattered into Mali’s desert and mountains.

French Islamist Captured in Mali

A French Islamic convert, who threatened his home country, has been captured in the northern region of Mali after allegedly fighting on the militants’ side.  This report come just one day after a sixth French soldier was killed in Mali.

The French army has confirmed that its troops have captured Gilles Le Guen, who now goes by the name Abdel Jelil, on Sunday night in a region just north of Timbuktu.  According to France’s Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, Mr. Le Guen, aged 58, is
believed to have been living in Timbuktu and appears to have fought alongside the Islamist militants.  Mr. Le Guen, a former merchant seaman, is originally from the city of Nantes in western France.  He converted to Islam in 1985 and lived in Mauritania and Morocco before settling in Mali with his Moroccan wife and family in 2011.  Some reports have suggested that he joined al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) while other reports have indicated that the group held him prisoner for a few days in November of last year.  A month earlier, he had appeared in an Islamist vide, with his face uncovered and a gun by his side, warning France, the US and the UN against intervening in Mali.  A number of security sources have indicated that the case of Mr. Le Guen is unique as he made no attempt to disguise his identity while he was in Mali.  He is said to have lived mostly off wire transfers from Europe and did odd jobs such as repairing broken water pumps and cars.  According to on the ground sources in Timbuktu, when AQIM occupied the town, Mr. Le Guen was assigned to patrol it.  According to Mr. Le Drian, Mr. Guen was captured by French troops who were on patrol at the time.  The detainee will now be handed over to the Malian authorities and “probably expelled to France.”  Mr. Le Drian further added that so far, no charges had been drawn up however an investigation is currently underway.

Meanwhile French officials have confirmed that a French paratrooper has been killed and that two others have been seriously injured in Mali.  France’s defence ministry has indicated that the special forces soldier died in the far northern region of the country after his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.  Six French soldiers have been killed since France launched an operation in Mali in January in order to drive Islamist rebels from the northern desert region.  The death of this paratrooper comes at a time when France is beginning to withdrawal some of its 4,000 troops.

The French Defence Ministry has indicated that the 32-year-old soldier was killed between Zaouaten and Boughessa, near the border with Algeria.  Two more soldiers were seriously injured in the same attack.  A military spokesman further noted that no militants were found in the area.  In a statement issued by the Presidency, President Francois Hollande extended his condolences to the relatives of the soldier killed, praising what he called the determination and courage of French forces in Mali.

MENA Report

Terrorism

Canadian Authorities Thwart Terror plot linked to al Qaeda in Iran

24 April: Canadian authorities foiled a potential threat and took two men into custody for plotting to destroy a Toronto passenger train. Chiheb Esseghaier of Montreal, and Raed Jaser of Toronto were charged with conspiring to interfere with transport facilities on behalf of a terrorist organisation and conspiring to commit murder.

According to officials, the men’s plot allegedly had support from al Qaeda’s network inside Iran, although there appeared to be no sign of state sponsorship. Iran has denied any links with the suspects.

In court in Montréal, Esseghaier, who declined representation by a court appointed lawyer, said “The conclusions were made based on acts and words which are only appearances.”  In Toronto, a lawyer for Jaser said he would “defend himself vigorously.” Jaser’s lawyer also questioned the timing of the arrests, which occurred as the Canadian parliament debates an anti-terrorism bill which could reintroduce preventative detention and investigative hearings. Neither suspect entered a plea.

The investigation began following a tip from a concerned imam in the Toronto Muslim community, who feared that some youths in the city were being corrupted by extremists. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). RCMP Cheif Superintendent Jennifer Strachan said that the alleged attack was “definitely in the planning stage but not imminent.” A spokesperson for VIA Rail, which operates passenger rail services across Canada, said the public was never in danger.

RCMP Assistant Commissioner James Malizia believes that the two suspects received “direction and guidance” from al Qaeda elements in Iran. Esseghair’s LinkedIn page briefly displayed an image of an al Qaeda’s flag which has been adopted by several AQ affiliates. The image has since been removed.

At the outset, the link between al Qaeda and Iran seems incompatible. Al Qaeda espouses a radical anti-Shia ideology that starkly contradicts the beliefs of the majority Shia Iran. However, a large number of high-ranking al-Qaeda figures live in Iran, having fled from Afghanistan in 2001 when US forces and the Northern Alliance headed towards Kabul to overthrow the Taliban government. Among those who are said to have fled to Iran are Osama Bin Laden’s son, Saad Bin Laden; and former security chief Saif al-Adel. The Iranian government never publicly acknowledged their presence, but the two were allegedly held under house arrest by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

According to US intelligence, Saif al-Adel’s father-in-law, Mustafa Hamid, is the link between al-Qaeda and the Iranian government. In the 1990s, Hamid “reportedly negotiated a secret relationship between Osama Bin Laden and Iran, allowing many al Qaeda members safe transit through Iran to Afghanistan.” The US believes that Hamid negotiated safe relocation to Iran for many high-ranking al-Qaeda members and their families in 2001. The AQ members and their families were restricted and watched by the Revolutionary Guard, but it is believed that some members were able to establish contacts with the al Qaeda network, raising funds and providing assistance unbeknownst to Iranian authorities. In 2009, and again in 2011, the US government added several Iran-based al Qaeda operatives to its list of global terrorists, including Mustafa Hamid, Saif al Adel, and Saad Bin Laden, who was later killed in a drone strike in Pakistan.

In February 2012, the US Treasury Department designated the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) “for its support to terrorist groups.” A press release from Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen said the designation was due to MOIS support for groups including al Qaeda, al Qaeda in Iraq, Hizballah and HAMAS, believing Iran to be involved in state-sanctioned terrorism. MOIS has provided terrorist operatives with documents, identification cards, passports and “provided money and weapons to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI)…and negotiated prisoner releases of AQI operatives.” In 2012, Canada also severed diplomatic ties with Iran over the nation’s support for terrorist groups, as well as its nuclear programme.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi dismissed claims of the Canadian police linking the plotters to al Qaeda in Iran. “If the news that you are announcing is true, this is the most hilarious thing I’ve heard in my 64 year [sic],” Salehi said, calling al Qaeda in Iran as “a new fake issue and a really ridiculous word.”  A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry also commented, “No shred of evidence regarding those who’ve been arrested and stand accused has been provided.”

Bail hearings are yet to be set for the defendants.

Car Bomb Attack on French Embassy in Libya

23 April:  A car bomb destroyed nearly half of the French Embassy in Libya, in the first significant attack on a Western target in Tripoli since the ousting of Ghadaffi in 2011. The bombing occurred at around 7 am local time, breaking windows, bursting a main water pipe, and damaging nearly two dozen buildings. Two French guards were injured, one critically, but most employees had not yet arrived.

Though no one has claimed responsibility, there are many speculations. The explosion came a day after the French Parliament voted to extend the deployment of those troops to neighbouring Mali, which has raised the anger of militants who are opposed to the intervention. Some Islamist militants also believe that Western powers are attempting to “seize the revolution” and rebuild Libya as a secular Western democracy.

Kidnapping

Syria, 24 April:  Chechen fighters in northern Syria have released two Orthodox bishops. Bishop Yohanna Ibrahim, head of the Aleppo Syriac Orthodox diocese, and Boulos Yaziji, head of the Aleppo Greek Orthodox diocese, were abducted on Monday. Ibrahim is known for mediating the release of kidnap victims, particularly in cases involving the kidnapping of Christians.

The bishops were on a mission to free two priests who had been kidnapped two months ago when they were stopped in their car by an armed group in the village of Kafr Dael, an Aleppo province near the Turkish border. The driver and another person were forced out of the vehicle, where the driver was killed by a gunshot to the head.

Syria’s religious affairs ministry issued a statement on Tuesday saying “there is evidence that those who kidnapped the bishops were Chechen mercenaries working under the leadership of Al-Nusra Front.”

The French “Oeuvre d’Orient” group said that the two victims were already at Saint Elias cathedral in Aleppo.

Bahrain

23 April: Bahrain authorities revealed that they prevented possible attacks before the nation’s Formula One race last weekend. The Interior Ministry reported that a weapons cache, including 1,000 homemade firebombs, was found in a warehouse Saturday, a day before the race. Two girls were arrested for plotting to carry out an attack.

Egypt

Egypt’s Justice Minister Steps Down 

21 April: Egypt’s justice minister, Ahmed Mekki, submitted his resignation on Sunday. The move indicates strong disapproval of President Mohammed Morsi’s handling of a prolonged showdown with the Egypt’s judiciary, which is the sole branch of government not dominated by Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood allies. Some judges believe Morsi has taken actions to undermine their authority.

On Saturday, Morsi announced he would reshuffle the cabinet amid calls for Mekki’s dismissal from both supporters and opposition of the Morsi regime. Opposition parties believe that Mekki has sided with Morsi and his policies, and the “reshuffle” would be an opportunity to infuse the judicial branch with supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood party. Morsi’s backers believe that Mekki failed to make expedient reforms to the justice system. All parties were angered following a number of acquittals of members of the Mubarak regime, including officials charged with corruption, and nearly all policemen charged with killing protesters during the 2011 uprising.

In his resignation letter, Mekki states that his resignation came as a response to pressure from the president’s opponents and supporters. He also mentioned protests on Friday by pro-Brotherhood supporters urging a “cleansing” of the judiciary, as well as calls for a new judicial reform law.

Mubarak Still in Prison, Despite Ordered Release

20 April:  An Egyptian court has ordered the release of Egypt’s ousted President Hosni Mubarak as he awaits further investigation into charges. However, Mubarak remains imprisoned on two other corruption cases. Mubarak, who has been ailing since shortly following his removal, has been in detention since 2011. He is currently in Tora prison in Cairo.

Days earlier, another court ordered Mubarak released pending his retrial in a case alleging responsibility for the deaths of nearly 900 protesters during the 2011 uprising. An appeals court in January threw out a life sentence against him.

Many Egyptians see the release of Mubarak as evidence that supporters of his regime remain in office, and the aims of the 2011 uprising were not met. Many of those who believe Mubarak’s release is justified are frustrated by changes in government since the Morsi regime has taken control.

Mubarak’s retrial in the case of the deaths which occurred during the revolution is set for 11 May.

Israel

Attempts to Kidnap IDF Soldiers on the Rise

According to the Israeli Shin Bet internal security service, 33 kidnapping attempts have been foiled since the beginning of 2013, compared with 24 thwarted attempts during all of 2012.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia Deports Men for Being “Too Handsome”

17 April: Three men from the United Arab Emirates have reportedly been deported from Saudi Arabia for being “too handsome.” The men, who were visiting to attend the annual Jenadrivah Heritage and Cultural Festival in Riyadh, were minding their own business when members of Saudi Arabia’s religious police entered the pavilion and forcibly removed them from the festival, deporting them to Abu Dhabi.

The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice members feared female visitors could fall for them.

Luxury Rehab Centre opens for al Qaeda

21 April: Saudi Arabia has opened a luxury rehabilitation centre in Riyadh to wean al Qaeda terrorists off religious extremism. The centre, which spans approximately 10 football pitches, provides counselling and religious discussions while also providing spa treatments, an Olympic-size indoor swimming pool, a sauna, gym and a television hall. Twelve buildings will host 19 prisoners, who will have access to special suites to spend time with visiting family members, and will be rewarded for good behaviour with a two-day break with their wives. The new centre is the first to provide a luxury setting as incentive for moderation. Three additional centres are planned in regions around the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia’s al Qaeda prisoners are required to go through rehabilitation centres before they can be released from prison. “In order to fight terrorism, we must give them an intellectual and psychological balance… through dialogue and persuasion,” said Said al-Bishi, director of the rehabilitation centers. To date, 2,336 prisoners have been through these centres, with only 10% of them rejoining the “deviant minority”, as they are referred to. There have been some high-profile returns to the ranks, such as Saeed al-Shehri, who became deputy leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) after his treatment.

Opponents are critical of the religious content of the program which they say draws on an ultra-conservative version of Islam not so different from al-Qaeda’s own. Social scientist Khaled al-Dakheel says, “To treat the problem at its root, one should challenge jihadist thought with an enlightened philosophy, not just with other Salafist ideas that are only slightly less extreme. There must be pluralism and an acknowledgement of the rights of others to be different.”

Tunisia

Tunisia to Begin Crowd-Mapping Crime and Corruption

13 April: Tunisia’s “I-Watch” organisation launched a new online “crowd-map” for reporting cases of corruption. The site, called “Billkamcha” (slang term for someone “caught in the act”) attracted 7,000 supporters within its first 48 hours of going live.

I-Watch President Achraf Aouadi explained, “This interactive website is designed to enable the victims of corruption to immediately report what happened to them whether this corruption is financial, administrative or in the form of favouritism.” Reporters will have the option to remain anonymous while submitting information.

Critical factors which cause corruption to worsen are the acceptance by society of bribery and toleration of it, the failure of regulatory institutions, and the lack of transparency. According to statistics, 90 % of Tunisians consider corruption a crime, yet one out of three individuals has either accepted a bribe or paid it.

I-Watch will work with several lawyers to process incoming reports. The site has six active members in charge of receiving reports, and ten bloggers who will expose cases of corruption received by the site.

Tunisian Salafists storm female student hostel to stop dancing

18 April: Female university students in the Bardo district hostel in Tunis were performing the first of a weekly dance and music show when dozens of hardline Salafists broke into the premises after scaling its walls. The Salafists smashed windows and threw stones and bottles, and fled after almost an hour of disruption. There were no serious injuries. No arrests have yet been made in connection to the occurrence, although witnesses report that the police were “present and did not move”. The Interior Ministry had no comment.

According to hostel administrator Raja Madyouni, the university had now tightened security. Salafists had previously threatened female students because of their Western dress and in some cases smoking and relations with young men, according to Madyouni.

Salafists conducted several similar disturbances to what they deem to be “anti-Islamic activities”, prompting secularists to accuse them of having formed a religious police and threatening the state. The moderate Ennahda party heads the coalition government in Tunis, but Salafists are pressing for Islam to be made the law of the land. Secularists say Ennahda is doing little to safeguard individual and women’s rights.

Yemen

Yemen to stand against weapons smuggling

23 April: Yemen Foreign Minister Dr Abu Bakr al-Qirby, speaking in Sana’a at a meeting  of the UN Security Council Monitoring Group for the arms embargo on Somalia and Eritrea proclaimed that Yemen is ready to act as a partner to stand against weapons smuggling.

During the 2011 uprising in Yemen, extremists groups and weapon smugglers took advantage of the breakdown in security to turn Yemen into a weapons trafficking haven. Over 12 months, intelligence reports showed that both Ansar al-Sharia and al-Shabab in Somalia had exchanged men and weapons, which were smuggled by sea. The government is now seeking partnership with the global community to curb the trend.

Yemeni court sentences 11 al Qaeda militants

23 April: Eleven convicted al Qaeda militants were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison in a court in Sana’a. The militants were charged with forming armed gangs to destabilize the country, and planning attacks on foreign embassies and security forces.

Ahmed al-Hababi, one of the defendants, threatened to kill the judge, shouting, “We will teach you a lesson and we will drag you on the ground.” Two of the convicted raised an al Qaeda flag inside the defendants’ cage.

The sentencing occurred as militants attacked a military camp in Radda, 100 miles south of Sanaa, in a skirmish that resulted in the deaths of three soldiers and eight militants. During Yemen’s 2011 uprising, al Qaeda occupied large areas in the southern region before being driven to mountainous areas by the new government. The group has retaliated with assassinations and bombings at military compounds.

French Family Released After Two Months in Captivity

Cameroon’s Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary has confirmed that seven members of a French family who were kidnapped by gunmen in northern Cameroon back in February of this year have been freed and are in good condition.  France has also confirmed there release however President Francois Hollande denied that a ransom payment was made to free the family who is currently in the Cameroonian capital of Yaounde.  Despite this release, seven other French hostages are being held throughout Africa.

A statement released by Cameroon’s Presidency indicates that the family had been handed over to Cameroonian authorities late on Thursday however the circumstances of that hand over remain to be unclear.  Since then, they have arrived at the French embassy in the capital, under heavy security escort  Both the French and Nigerian governments were thanked in the statement however no further information on their release was provided.

Meanwhile the French president’s office has confirmed that Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has already left the country, heading for Cameroon where he will greet the family.  Mr. Fabius has indicated that the French hostages were freed overnight “in an area between Nigeria and Cameroon,” and that they would be flown back to France on Saturday.   President Hollande also indicated that secret talks had been taking place over the past few weeks in order to help secure their release, noting that “France has not changed its position, which is not to pay ransoms.”

The family, who live in Yaounde, had been returning from a holiday in Waza National Park in the northern region of Cameroon when they were kidnapped by gunmen on motorbikes on 19 February 2013.  Mr. Tanguy Moulin-Fournier, along with his wife Albane, and four children, aged between five and twelve, had been joined on their vacation by his brother Cyril.  A video that was released about one week after their capture, depicted the militants demanding the release of prisoners being held in Cameroon and in Nigeria.  A video released later also criticized President Hollande for deploying troops to Mali in January 2013.  Since their release, Mr. Moulin Fournier has indicated that ‘we are all very tired but normal life will now resume.”  He further noted that “the conditions in which we were held were very difficult, it was extremely hot.  But we did not have any serious problems.  We are alive and we are infinitely happy to be free.  It has been very long and difficult, it was hard psychologically and we had some very low moments.  But we stuck together and that was crucial.  As a family, we kept each other’s spirits up.”

With the release of this French family on Friday, at least seven French citizens are still being held hostage in Africa.  The abductions have all been claimed by Islamist groups, in which at least six have been claimed by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).  An eighth hostage was reported to have been executed in March 2013 in Mali by AQIM however his death has yet to be confirmed.

Niger

On 16 September 2010, kidnappers abducted five French nationals along with a Togolese and a Madagascan national who were mostly working for French public nuclear giant Areva and its subcontractor Satom in the uranium mining region of the country.  AQIM claimed responsibility of the kidnappings on 21 September.  A female French hostage, Francoise Larribe, was freed along with the Togolese and Madagascan nationals in February 2011.  The four other French hostages, Theirry Dol, Daniel Larribe, Pierre Legrand, and Marc Feret, are still being held, with French authorities stating that they are still alive.

Mali 

On the night of 24 November 2011, Frenchmen Serge Lazarevic and Philippe Verdon were kidnapped from their hotel in Hombori in northeastern Mali.  According to their families, they were in Mali on a business trip.  On 9 December, AQIM claimed responsibility for the kidnappings and released photographs of the two men.  On 10 August 2012, a video distributed by Mauritanian website Sahara Medias depicted Mr. Verdon speaking of the “difficult living conditions” and health problems.  On 19 March 2013, AQIM announces that it has killed Mr. Verdon, citing that he was a spy for France.  Although officials in Paris have yet to confirm the report, on 28 March, French President Hollande stated that the signs are that Mr. Verdon is dead.

On 20 November 2012, Gilberto Rodriguez Leal, a sixty-one-year-old Portuguese-born French citizen was abducted by at least six armed men in Diema, in western Mali, as he was travelling by car from Mauritania.  On the 22 November, al-Qaeda-linked Islamist rebel group the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.  On 26 January 2013, MUJAO indicated that they were ready to negotiate Mr. Leal’s.

Nigeria

On 19 December 2012, French engineer Francis Colomp is kidnapped by around thirty armed men who attacked the residence of the company where he was working in the state of Katsina which is located in the northern regions of Nigeria, near the border with Niger.  During the attack, the hostage-takers killed two bodyguards and a neighbour.  The act has since been claimed by Nigerian Ansaru, which has links to Nigeria’s Boko Haram.  They have since indicated that the kidnapping was in reaction to France’s preparations for a military intervention in Mali.

Security Update – Egypt

The Muslim Brotherhood has called for a “million man” demonstration on Friday to oppose a court ruling which calls for the release of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from court custody. The demonstrators will also lobby for a “purge” of the Egyptian judiciary.

In light of these plans, the US embassy in Cairo issued a security message late Thursday evening to warn citizens of demonstrations scheduled over the weekend. “Areas that may be affected by demonstrations on Friday afternoon include Tahrir Square, the Court of Cassation, Cairo University in Giza, Moqattam, Sidi Gaber, and the Manshia Courts complex in Alexandria.”

Another protest is scheduled on Saturday by activists in front of the Qatari embassy in Cairo to protest against “Qatar’s support for the Morsi government.”

The demonstrations are not anticipated to target foreign embassies or interests. Violence is not anticipated, however it is difficult to prediction reactions should opposing groups come into contact with one another.

The statement continues, “Though we are unaware of any further protest activity or security concerns, it is possible that additional demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience may develop elsewhere in Egypt.”