Magharebia

An Algerian and a Frenchman who were allegedly kidnapped last Wednesday in Niger near the Malian and Algerian borders are believed to have been moved to northern Mali, local and international press reported on Friday (April 23rd). "As soon as there is a kidnapping, everyone looks toward Mali, especially the north, which everyone says is the rear base for al-Qaeda," a military source close to Mali's defence minister told Reuters. Niger security officials say Taleb Abdoulkrim, a group close to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, is responsible for the kidnappings.

The alleged kidnapping occurred days after several Sahel-Saharan states held a conference to tackle regional terrorism and security issues.