TUAREG REBEL LEADER AG GHALI ASSIGNED TO SAUDI

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 001366

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2017
TAGS: ASEC PINR PREL PINS ML
SUBJECT: TUAREG REBEL LEADER AG GHALI ASSIGNED TO SAUDI
ARABIA

REF: BAMAKO 00587

Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1.(C) The Malian government recently announced the
appointment of Iyad ag Ghali, the renowned Malian Tuareg
rebel leader and president of the Alliance for Democracy and
Change (ADC),to a post as advisor to the Malian Consulate in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Ag Ghali openly desired to withdraw
from his role as northern Mali's main power broker, and had
asked President Toure for an assignment to either Saudi
Arabia or Egypt earlier this year (reftel).

2.(C) It is not unusual for the Malian government to assign
current or former Tuareg and Arab rebel leaders to Malian
Embassies abroad in accordance with the terms of the 1992
National Pact between the Malian government and various
northern rebel groups. Notable rebel leaders serving in
either the current government or posts abroad include:

-- Abdourahmane Galla, former Secretary General of the
Revolutionary Army for the Liberation of Azawad (ARLA),
assigned to the Malian Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Recently re-assigned as the Malian Consul to Tamanrasset,
Algeria.

-- Zahabi Ould Sidi Mohamed, former Assistant Secretary
General of the Arab Islamic Front of the Azawad (FIAA) and
leader of the Movement and Unified Front for Azawad (MFUA),
has been working for UNDP since the late 1990s. Although
this is not a Malian government post, former Malian President
Alpha Oumar Konare likely helped identify a UN position for
Sidi Mohamed who signed the final peace agreement on behalf
of all northern rebel factions.

-- Mohamed ag Bilal, ARLA member, formerly assigned to Malian
Embassy in Abidjan, now working for Malian government in
Bamako.

-- Boubacar Sadeck Ould Mohamoud, former FIAA Secretary
General, currently assigned to Malian Consulate in Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia.

-- Zeidan ag Sidalamine, former Secretary General of the
Popular Front for the Liberation of the Azawad (FPLA),
currently assigned to the Malian Embassy in China.

-- Abdallah ag Hama, former FPLA leader, currently assigned
to the Malian Embassy in Egypt.

-- Commandant Abdoulaye Maiga, former leader of the Gandakoy
movement, formerly assigned as Defense Attache to the Malian
Embassy in China. Now serving in the Malian military in
Mali.

-- Aghatam ag Alhassane, former FPLA leader, named Minister
of Environment in September 2007.

-- Mohamed el Moctar, former FIAA leader, named Minister of
Culture in September 2007.

3.(C) Ag Ghali's departure will create an enormous vacuum
within the ADC. On November 28 ag Ghali told the Embassy
that the ADC would remain "on standby" while he was in Saudi
Arabia but that National Assembly Deputy and ADC spokesman
Ahmada ag Bibi would manage the ADC in the meantime. Ag
Ghali was vague about the timing of his departure and hinted
that he may stay in Mali until the on-going hostage crisis
with Ibrahim Bahanga is resolved.
McCulley