AQIM SEEKING INTERMEDIARY IN MAURITANIA VIA MALIAN

S E C R E T BAMAKO 000017 NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2020 TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL ML SUBJECT: AQIM SEEKING INTERMEDIARY IN MAURITANIA VIA MALIAN GOVERNMENT REF: TD314/000765-10 Classified By: Political Counselor Peter Newman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S/NF) Presidential advisor Kader Bah called PolCouns on the evening of 01/05/10 to inform that he had received a request from AQIM via Mohamed ould Mataly to facilitate contact with someone in Mauritania close to President Aziz who could be an intermediary for negotiations. By way of background, ould Mataly is an Arab leader from Bourem/Almoustrat who lost his National Assembly seat in 2007 to Ibrahim ag Mohamed Asselah. In early-2009, he emerged as one of the primary intermediaries negotiating for the release of four European tourists captured by AQIM. ¶2. (S/NF) During a subsequent meeting on 01/07/10, Kader added that ould Mataly had direct contact with AQIM. He said Mataly also told him the purpose of seeking an intermediary in Mauritania was to negotiate the release of nine AQIM operatives held in Mauritania in exchange for the hostages currently in AQIM custody, which corroborates previous reporting in TD314/000765-10. Kader said he contacted a lawyer and long-time contact in Nouakchott to see if he would be willing to take on this role. The lawyer, however, was uncomfortable with the idea of being put between AQIM and the Mauritanian Government, and thus, he declined the request. BARLERIN