The Algerian government claims to have “recovered” a portion of the ransom paid to secure the release of hostages in Mali last October. Some 200 prisoners had been released in exchange for four people: the opponent Soumaïla Cissé, who died last week of Covid-19, the French Sophie Pétronin and two Italians. According to the Algerian Ministry of Defense, a sum of 80,000 euros in cash, resulting from this negotiation, was found Monday, December 28 during an anti-terrorist operation carried out in the east of the country.
It was during a search operation carried out in the hinterland of Jijel that the sum was discovered. The Algerian soldiers destroyed five pillboxes used according to them by terrorists.
This is where they would have found these 80,000 euros from Mali and intended “to be paid for the benefit of the residues of terrorist groups tracked down by the security services”.
The government does not give more details but assures that a “plan for the redeployment of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb” was foiled at the end of the year on Algerian territory.
This operation follows the arrest of a suspected jihadist, Rezkane Ahcene, said Abou Dahdah, on December 16.
For two observers of security issues in Algeria, he was not a major target or a cadre of a terrorist group. According to them, this government communication would be an opportunity to once again underline Algiers’ “discontent”.
In October, the Algerian Prime Minister denounced “dubious practices”, “the payment of colossal funds as ransoms” and considered that this “undermined the efforts to fight against terrorism”.
The hinterland of Jijel is no longer a region where jihadist groups are very active, but because of its rugged terrain, it can serve as a fallback area for men wishing to “go green”, to hide. their families or equipment.
Three fighters and a soldier were killed there in a skirmish earlier this month.
