Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAMAKO902
2008-11-20 14:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bamako
Cable title:
ADC MEMBER WARNS HOSTAGE TAKING IS NORTHERN MALI'S
how-toVZCZCXYZ0021 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHBP #0902 3251459 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 201459Z NOV 08 FM AMEMBASSY BAMAKO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9792 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 0508 RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 0317 RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0174 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 000902
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2018
TAGS: PTER PINS PINR ML
SUBJECT: ADC MEMBER WARNS HOSTAGE TAKING IS NORTHERN MALI'S
NEW GROWTH INDUSTRY
REF: A. BAMAKO 00712
B. BAMAKO 00870
Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako,
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAMAKO 000902
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2018
TAGS: PTER PINS PINR ML
SUBJECT: ADC MEMBER WARNS HOSTAGE TAKING IS NORTHERN MALI'S
NEW GROWTH INDUSTRY
REF: A. BAMAKO 00712
B. BAMAKO 00870
Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako,
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(C) On November 19 Kidal Chamber of Commerce president and
Tuareg rebel Alliance for Democracy and Change (ADC) member
Abdousalam ag Assalat contacted the Embassy from Kidal to say
he was in the process of negotiating for the release of the
four Malian military officers still held captive by Northern
Mali Tuareg Alliance for Change (ATNMC) leader Ibrahim
Bahanga. Bahanga reportedly refused to release the remaining
four officers because he believes they were implicated in the
April 10 murder of two Tuaregs in Kidal. Ag Assalat has
negotiated the release of Malian hostages before (Ref. A) and
recently claimed that he refused a request from an Al Qaeda
in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) intermediary to help negotiate
the release of the two Austrian tourists kidnapped by AQIM in
February 2008 (Ref. B). Ag Assalat told the Embassy that the
liberation of Bahanga's four Malian prisoners was "imminent,
god willing."
2.(C) Ag Assalat also warned of a "growing danger" to
non-American westerners in northern Mali. He said that
following the October 31 liberation of the two Austrian
tourists, AQIM began actively encouraging traffickers in
northern Mali to kidnap non-American westerners. Ag Assalat
said the terrorist group was offering to pay as much as 3
million Algerian dinars (roughly USD 45,000) for any captured
westerner. Ag Assalat said the AQIM directive specified that
the terrorist group was not interested in American hostages,
presumably because the USG does not make ransom payments.
MILOVANOVIC
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2018
TAGS: PTER PINS PINR ML
SUBJECT: ADC MEMBER WARNS HOSTAGE TAKING IS NORTHERN MALI'S
NEW GROWTH INDUSTRY
REF: A. BAMAKO 00712
B. BAMAKO 00870
Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako,
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1.(C) On November 19 Kidal Chamber of Commerce president and
Tuareg rebel Alliance for Democracy and Change (ADC) member
Abdousalam ag Assalat contacted the Embassy from Kidal to say
he was in the process of negotiating for the release of the
four Malian military officers still held captive by Northern
Mali Tuareg Alliance for Change (ATNMC) leader Ibrahim
Bahanga. Bahanga reportedly refused to release the remaining
four officers because he believes they were implicated in the
April 10 murder of two Tuaregs in Kidal. Ag Assalat has
negotiated the release of Malian hostages before (Ref. A) and
recently claimed that he refused a request from an Al Qaeda
in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) intermediary to help negotiate
the release of the two Austrian tourists kidnapped by AQIM in
February 2008 (Ref. B). Ag Assalat told the Embassy that the
liberation of Bahanga's four Malian prisoners was "imminent,
god willing."
2.(C) Ag Assalat also warned of a "growing danger" to
non-American westerners in northern Mali. He said that
following the October 31 liberation of the two Austrian
tourists, AQIM began actively encouraging traffickers in
northern Mali to kidnap non-American westerners. Ag Assalat
said the terrorist group was offering to pay as much as 3
million Algerian dinars (roughly USD 45,000) for any captured
westerner. Ag Assalat said the AQIM directive specified that
the terrorist group was not interested in American hostages,
presumably because the USG does not make ransom payments.
MILOVANOVIC