Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BAMAKO106
2009-02-23 15:20:00
SECRET
Embassy Bamako
Cable title:  

A FAMILIAR NAME SURFACES IN SEARCH FOR CANADIAN

Tags:  PTER PINR PINS PREL ASEC ML 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0002
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHBP #0106/01 0541520
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 231520Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAMAKO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0047
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 0571
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0043
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 0015
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0114
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0026
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0489
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 0323
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
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)
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