TUAREG LEADERS STILL WAITING FOR BAHANGA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 001222 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2017 TAGS: ASEC PINR PINS PREL ML SUBJECT: TUAREG LEADERS STILL WAITING FOR BAHANGA REF: BAMAKO 01015 Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1.(C) A delegation of Tuareg leaders that traveled to Tinzawaten in Northern Mali to re-start negotiations with Tuareg bandit Ibrahim Bahanga on October 16 has yet to meet with him as of 22 October. The delegation is led by the National Assembly Deputy from Kidal, Alghabass Intallah, and Democratic Alliance for Change (ADC) spokesperson and National Assembly Deputy from Abeibara, Ahmada ag Bibi. 2.(C) Another National Assembly Deputy and member of the ADC, Deity ag Sidimou, reported that he believed Bahanga may have traveled to Libya. Ag Sidimou is currently in Tessalit and is in telephone contact with Bahanga. Ag Sidimou claimed that Bahanga had refused to meet with representatives of Kidal's ruling Iforas tribe, which includes both Intallah and ag Bibi. Bahanga is also an Iforas but of a lower, warrior caste. 3.(C) The whereabouts of Bahanga's several dozen hostages also remain unclear, with some claiming they have been moved to Niger and others suspecting they could be in Algeria. On October 19 a member of President Amadou Toumani Toure's inner circle told the Embassy that President Toure had ordered Algeria's national oil company Sonatrech to halt operations in northern Mali's Taoudenni basin to increase pressure on the Algerian government to, in turn, force Bahanga to negotiate a settlement. President Toure is expected to travel to Algiers later this week. This individual also reiterated President Toure's suspicion that Algerian security services based in southern Algeria are supporting Bahanga, independent of any policy direction from the central government in Algiers (reftel). LEONARD