A FAMILIAR NAME SURFACES IN SEARCH FOR CANADIAN

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BAMAKO 000106 SIPDIS RABAT FOR LEGATT DAVID ARCHEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2019 TAGS: PTER PINR PINS PREL ASEC ML SUBJECT: A FAMILIAR NAME SURFACES IN SEARCH FOR CANADIAN DIPLOMATS' KIDNAPPERS REF: A. 08 BAMAKO 00902 ¶B. BAMAKO 00052 ¶C. 08 BAMAKO 00870 ¶D. 08 BAMAKO 00888 Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 1.(S) Summary: Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb's (AQIM) February 17 claim of responsibility for the December 2008 kidnapping of two Canadian diplomats in Niger and the January 2009 kidnapping of four European tourists along the Mali-Niger border amplified whispers circulating in Bamako over just who captured the six hostages and where they are currently located. On February 18 Kidal Chamber of Commerce President Abdousalam ag Assalat contacted the Embassy to relay concerns about other young Tuaregs who may regard taking western hostages and selling them to AQIM as a profitable venture. Ag Assalat also identified a group of Malian traffickers he believes were involved in the kidnapping of the two Canadian diplomats in December in Niger. One of these individuals is Alassane ould Mohamed (aka "Cheibani"),a Malian Arab from Gao suspected of carjacking and murdering DOD civilian employee William Bultemeier in Niamey in December 2000. Cheibani's whereabouts since 2002 have been unknown. On February 23 ag Assalat contacted the Embassy again to report that two well-known AQIM intermediaries - National Assembly Deputy from Bourem Ibrahim ag Mohamed Assalah and Almoustrat Mayor Baba ould Chouakh - were in the process of negotiating for the Canadians' release. End Summary. -------------- Murder Suspect Linked to Canadian Hostages -------------- 2.(S) Following AQIM's public claim of responsibility for the kidnappings of two Canadian diplomats in Niger and four European tourists along the Mali-Niger border, Kidal Chamber of Commerce president Abdousalam ag Assalat contacted the Embassy on February 18 to relay information regarding individuals ag Assalat suspects of being involved in the Canadian case. Ag Assalat is a close Embassy contact whose willingness to provide information seems to be based largely on concerns that support provided to AQIM by a handful of renegade Tuareg traffickers is tarnishing the image of Mali's greater, law-abiding Tuareg community. Ag Assalat was one of the first individuals to inform the U.S. Mission of AQIM's offer of cash for western, non-American hostages in November 2008 (Ref. A). He also relayed information regarding those suspected of kidnapping the four European tourists and a potential sighting of the hostages two days after they were kidnapped on January 22, 2009 (Ref. B). 3.(S) Following the December 14, 2008, kidnappings of Canadian Ambassador and UN Envoy Robert Fowler and his assistant, Louis Guay, ag Assalat told the Embassy that he immediately suspected a group of Malian bandits led by Asultan ould Badi - a well known trafficker and AQIM facilitator. On December 31, however, ag Assalat said Asultan had denied any involvement in the kidnapping, leaving ag Assalat at a loss to explain how the two Canadian diplomats disappeared. 4.(S) On February 18, however, ag Assalat told the Embassy that Asultan had misled him in December and that Asultan was, in fact, among those responsible for kidnapping Fowler and Guay. Asultan is half Arab and half Tuareg. Since his father is Arab, Asultan is normally referred to as Asultan ould Badi. However, he is sometimes referred to as Asultan ag Badi due to his Tuareg descent. His brother is Man ould Badi. Ag Assalat previously identified Man as one of the intermediaries used to orchestrate the release of AQIM's Austrian hostages in October 2008 (Ref. C). 5.(S) Ag Assalat said the Canadian diplomats were kidnapped by Asultan, Man and another well known Malian Arab trafficker, Alassane ould Mohamed (aka Cheibani). Cheibani is the principal suspect in December 2000 murder of DOD civilian employee William Bultemeier in Niamey, Niger. A few BAMAKO 00000106 002 OF 003 weeks after the Bultemeier murder, Cheibani was arrested and placed in Bamako's central prison. Cheibani "escaped" from Malian custody in April 2002 during a medical visit to the Gabriel Toure hospital in downtown Bamako. Cheibani's whereabouts since 2002 remain unknown although we believe he is still somewhere in northern Mali. During an October 2008 meeting with the Secretary General of the Malian Ministry of Justice, the Embassy and our FBI attache asked whether Mali had any updates on status of the Cheibani case. We also provided the Ministry with documentation drafted by the Malian court that was handling the Cheibani case prior to his escape. Secretary General Badou Hasseye Traore said he was aware of the case but required some time before providing answer. Several months later Secretary General Traore called the Embassy to request another copy of the Malian court document. -------------- A Plausible Explanation? -------------- 6.(S) The kidnappers' decision to leave the Canadian diplomats' car and other items behind on December 14 has been one of the more perplexing aspects of Amb. Fowler and Guay's disappearance. The items left behind have contributed to an remarkable array of conspiracy theories ranging from the involvement of the Nigerien government to a wayward AQIM cell outside of Niamey to a disaffected Tuareg rebel group. These theories surfaced, in part, since the plausibility of bandits kidnapping hostages for resale to AQIM but leaving valuable equipment behind seemed low. 7.(S) According to ag Assalat, Cheibani's involvement explains the kidnappers' decision to leave the Canadians' vehicle and electronic equipment. Ag Assalat saidCheibani was convinced that a locator device insalled in the Bultemeier vehicle enabled law enfocement to locate first Mr. Bultemeier's car, whih had already been resold to a well known Malian Berabiche leader from Timbuktu, and then Cheibanihimself. To avoid committing a similar mistake this time, ag Assalat said Cheibani deliberately left the Canadians' 4x4 and equipment. Ag Assalat linked Cheibani not only to the Canadian kidnapping, but to Madame Jdou Walet Amasara, a Tuareg who is Director of the Malian Customs office in Menaka. Ag Assalat reported that Cheibani frequently stays at Amasara's house when passing through Menaka. -------------- More AQIM Intermediaries -------------- 8.(S) Finally, ag Assalat questioned the timing of the Canadians' hand over to AQIM. He said he believed that Cheibani and Asultan had only recently completed the actual hand over of the two Canadian diplomats and that this final transaction occurred just days before AQIM's February 17 statement of responsibility. Ag Assalat also warned - as he did in November 2008 after the release of the two Austrian hostages - that the apparent successful hand over of Canadians and Europeans to AQIM for cash would encourage other bandits in northern Mali to enter the hostage taking business. 9.(S) On February 23 ag Assalat contacted the Embassy again to report that two individuals with a considerable amount of experience working as AQIM intermediaries - National Assembly Deputy Ibrahim ag Mohamed Assalah and Almoustrat Mayor Baba ould Chouakh - were in the process of negotiating with Moctar bel Moctar for the Canadian diplomats' release. 10.(S) This information corresponds with details provided to the Embassy by Asselah himself on February 18. Asselah told the Embassy he was leaving for Gao and points northward on February 19 at the Canadian Embassy's request. He said he aimed to repeat the community mobilization mission he undertook for the Austrians in 2008 (Ref. D). On February 19, however, a newly arrived senior Canadian government official who visited with the Embassy to discuss northern Mali and the hostage crisis said Canada had yet to engage BAMAKO 00000106 003 OF 003 anyone to negotiate on its behalf. -------------- Comment: A New Twist -------------- 11.(S) Our ability to assess the accuracy of ag Assalat's information regarding Cheibani and the kidnapping of the two Canadian diplomats is limited. We find Ag Assalat's explanation for why Amb. Robert Fowler and Louis Guay's vehicle was left untouched, with engine running, intriguing. It also puts the spotlight back on what was, from the start, one of the more plausible explanations of Fowler and Guay's disappearance: the involvement of an entrepreneurial band of traffickers responding to AQIM's offer to exchange cash for western hostages. Given Cheibani's previous role in the killing of a USG employee and current fugitive status, his potential involvement in the Fowler kidnapping, if true, could further increase pressure on Mali to bring those responsible for the Canadian and European kidnappings to justice. MILOVANOVIC