The Algerian army arrested a terrorist who was part of the group recently released by the authorities in Bamako. Without citing it by name, the Ministry of Defense accuses France of having paid ransoms to obtain the release of the three European hostages as part of this agreement with terrorist groups activating in Mali.
The Algerian military authorities are angry. It only took two weeks to see the effect of the deal between the ruling Malian junta and Iyad Ag Ghali, the head of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (SGIM).
On Tuesday, October 27, the security services arrested a terrorist who was part of the group of “jihadists” released by Bamako earlier this month. Mustapha Derrar, known as Mustapha el Djazaïri (the Algerian), was arrested in Tlemcen, his town of origin, located a few kilometers from the Moroccan border.
He crossed Mali and Algeria from south to north to return home, more than 4,000 kilometers.
Armed instructor for children
In a video broadcast by public television, the terrorist looks back on his journey in Mali. He claims to have joined, in 2012, a group that was active in In Khalil near the Algerian border. In the company of a Tunisian, Mustapha Derrar says he was an instructor for children.
“We cooked for them, fed them, taught them how to handle weapons, how to take them apart and reassemble them, the positions, and how to crawl.”
But his activity ended a few weeks later. “ On January 26, 2013, we had a clash with the Malians. Half of the men died, the rest were injured. They took me to prison, I stayed there for six years. Then I was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment. After a month and a half, we were transferred to a penitentiary located 60 kilometers from Bamako. In total, I was imprisoned for seven years and ten months, ”he says.
Mustapha Derrar then explains how he took advantage of the agreement that led to his release at the beginning of October.
“There was this exchange between Iyad Ag Ghali and France. It was about the release of 207 terrorists and the payment of a ransom of 10 million euros. Then I heard about a total ransom of 30 million euros. This money is considered as a support, encouragement, and aid so that terrorism is reinforced, it allows the dispersal of weapons ”, specifies the terrorist.
Mustapha Derrar claims “to have been sick for eight years “.
France singled out
In an official statement, the Algerian Ministry of Defense (MDN) specifies that this arrest was carried out “ following a permanent surveillance of the said criminal from his entry via national borders until the collection of information relating to his suspicious movements ”. But the DND does not give any details on the objectives or even the reasons for the presence of Mustapha Derrar in the region of Tlemcen. On the other hand, the press release strongly denounces the “negotiations carried out by foreign parties which led to an agreement, through which more than (200) terrorists were released and a substantial ransom was paid to terrorist groups against the release of three hostages. Europeans ”.
“These unacceptable practices and contrary to United Nations resolutions criminalizing the payment of ransoms to terrorist groups hamper efforts to fight terrorism and to dry up its sources of funding. This quality operation reiterates the effectiveness of the approach adopted by the National People’s Army to establish security and tranquility throughout the national territory and to overcome the scourge of terrorism in the region ”, notes the Algerian ministry of National Defense.
Even if the Algerian army avoids quoting it, the allusion to France is clear.
As part of this exchange, “ the last French hostage in the world ” was released (as well as the Malian opposition leader and two Italian hostages). Contacted by Sputnik, Ramdane Hamlat, and Abdelhamid Larbi Chérif, two retired Algerian colonels, point directly to Paris’s responsibility for the release of the terrorists and the payment of the ransom to the head of the GSIM. For Ramdane Hamlat, a political analyst specializing in geopolitical issues, the enlargement of these terrorists is a real threat to Algeria.
“France is the sole beneficiary of these actions. The objective is to obtain concessions from Algeria in the Sahel, Libya, or even in the Western Sahara issue. According to my information, the agreement for the release of terrorists detained by Mali and the payment of ransoms for the release of Western hostages was carried out jointly by the French and Moroccan services ”, he accuses.
However, while traveling to Mali on October 25 and 26, the French foreign minister disagreed with the Malian Prime Minister, Moctar Ouane, on the issue of negotiations with the terrorists. “ Let us say it very clearly: there are the peace agreements and then there are the terrorist groups which have not signed the peace agreements. Things are simple ”, he then launched, in the presence of a Moctar Ouane eager to highlight the conclusions of an inclusive national dialogue of 2019 which indicated“ the need for an offer of dialogue with the groups armed ”.
Attacks in the near future
According to Ramdane Hamlat, the objective of the freed terrorists ” consists of regrouping and carrying out attacks “. Colonel Ramdane Hamlat believes that the terrorist ” who was arrested in Tlemcen infiltrated across national borders and had a well-defined mission “. For his part, Abdelhamid Larbi Chérif, a retired former colonel of the intelligence services and political analyst, explains to Sputnik that the payment of ransoms implemented by France is not a new fact … but its consequences are often evident. dramatic.
“The terrorist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar, eliminated in 2016, took advantage of this financial windfall to strengthen his weapons capacities and forge alliances with the tribes of northern Mali.”
The two officers expect an upsurge in attacks and bombings in the near future. Algeria, Mali, Niger, and Burkina-Faso will be the main targets of these actions. We must expect an influx of Algerian terrorists who have operated in the Sahel. “ The Algerian security services are prepared to face this situation, especially when it comes to neutralizing the terrorists on file. But the real threat comes from unidentified individuals, ”notes Abdelhamid Larbi Chérif.
On the political level, Ramdane Hamlat believes that the argument which led to the French military intervention in Mali aims to ensure the “internal security of France”. “ President François Hollande has repeatedly repeated this argument. In fact, he was referring to the uranium deposits in Niger that supply French nuclear power plants. What matters for Paris is to preserve its interests in Africa. According to Ramdane Hamlat, the affair of the release of the 200 terrorists has undermined Algerian-French relations which are already very complex.
“The evacuation of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to Germany and not to France, as is traditionally done, is a convincing indication of the existence of a disagreement on French policy in the Sahel.”
