BAHANGA RELEASES MOST - BUT NOT ALL - MALIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 000785

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2018
TAGS: ASEC PINS PINR PHUM ML
SUBJECT: BAHANGA RELEASES MOST - BUT NOT ALL - MALIAN
PRISONERS TO LIBYAN CONSUL IN KIDAL

REF: BAMAKO 00779

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

1.(U) Tuareg bandit turned rebel Ibrahim Bahanga released 44
Malian soldiers to the Libyan Consul to Mali, Musa el Koni,
on September 10 in Kidal. Koni arrived in Kidal aboard a
Libyan aircraft on September 9, carrying new uniforms for the
released hostages nd several tons of rice and sugar for
their captrs. The liberated hostages were immediately
tured over to the Malian military which transported tem to
Gao for a welcome ceremony hosted by the Governor of Gao,
Col. Ahmed Baba Toure, the Malian ilitary's Chef d'Etat
Major, Gen. Gabriel Poudiougou, and el Koni.

2.(C) Following the liberation, Tuareg contacts said they
expected the Malian government to release an estimated 10 to
11 Tuareg combatants detained by the Malians. This exchange
could be complicated by new reports indicating that Bahanga
still has several Malian soldiers in his custody. Malian
government sources told media outlets on September 10 that
the 44 liberated individuals represented all of the Malian
soldiers still in Tuareg rebel hands. Previous estimates,
however, placed the number of hostages held by Bahanga at 60
to 65 individuals, suggesting that a dozen or more hostages
remain unaccounted for. On September 11 Radio France altered
its tone somewhat, reporting instead that Bahanga had
released the "quasi-totality" of hostages and that at least
four Malian soldiers remained in captivity. Acherif ag
Mohamed and other Tuareg contacts told the Embassy on
September 11 that they also believed Bahanga had 60 or more
prisoners and that he was still holding at least four
individuals. According to Tuaregs and the Red Cross Director
in Kidal, at least two Malian soldiers died while in
Bahanga's custody and a third died shortly after Bahanga
released him on August 25-26.

3.(C) Bahanga himself is believed to be in Libya, along with
fellow Northern Mali Tuareg Alliance for Change (ATNMC)
members Hama Moussa and Ibrahim Bana. Also with Bahanga is
National Assembly Deputy, Alliance for Democracy and Change
(ADC) "finance secretary" and renowned trafficker Deity ag
Sidamou. A member of the Idnane fraction of Kidal Tuaregs,
Ag Sidamou is known for acting independently of the ADC.
This is the first indication of a link between ag Sidamou and
Bahanga. According to Acherif, Bahanga, ag Sidamou and Hama
Moussa are pursuing certain "common interests" in Tripoli -
likely an allusion to illicit business propositions.

4.(C) Comment: The prisoner release was apparently not
timed to coincide with a meeting of the Alliance for
Democracy and Change in Tegharghar, also occurring on
September 10 (Ref. A). There is no indication at this time
that the prisoner release will alter Malian, ADC and Algerian
plans to continue with the Algiers Accords implementation
process sans Bahanga. Acherif said the Algerians had told
him they were "relieved" that Bahanga was now allied with
Libya since Bahanga had previously done nothing but "perturb"
the Algiers Accords implementation process supported by Mali,
the ADC and Algeria.
LEONARD