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Algerian Islamist Abu Obeida Youssef al-Aanabi, the present chief of al Qaeda within the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), granted an unique interview to FRANCE 24 through which he formally confirmed his group is holding French journalist Olivier Dubois, who was kidnapped in Mali in 2021, and mentioned the position of jihadism within the Sahel.
As FRANCE 24’s terrorism professional Wassim Nasr explains, it took a yr from requesting the interview to safe the responses, with the militant chief imposing “many circumstances” together with the submission of all 17 questions upfront.
Nasr stated he requested a “stamped” audio file from the militant group so he may very well be sure it was al-Aanabi who was talking.
When requested whether or not AQIM was planning assaults in France, al-Aanabi stated his group’s dispute with France was restricted to native points within the Sahel and wider Africa. He went on to criticize Western leaders for failing to acknowledge that AQIM’s pursuits have been unique to Africa.
The AQIM chief’s admission was the primary official affirmation from his group that it was holding Dubois, however he denied AQIM had lured Dubois into being kidnapped. Dubois was kidnapped in April 2021 as he was attempting to interview a neighborhood al Qaeda commander. Al-Aanabi stated his group is open to negotiations and that it’s as much as French authorities to make the primary transfer in the direction of opening talks.
He stated AQIM considers it a victory that French troops withdrew from each Mali in August final yr and Burkina Faso in February 2023, calling it a vindication of 20 years of jihad within the area. However Nasr factors out that the withdrawal of the French was resulting from friction with the Malian junta in addition to the arrival of Russian mercenaries. Al-Aanabi stated the rising presence of the Wagner Group was no higher, calling them yet one more colonial drive.
Al-Aanabi touted the success of AQIM’s recruitment technique within the Sahel, describing the area because the “epicentre” of jihad at the moment, based on Nasr. Furthermore, he stated, there aren’t any limits to the group’s potentialities for enlargement. Al-Aanabi went on to say that AQIM is actually at warfare within the Sahel with the Islamic State group, whom he views as “deviants”.
Al-Aanabi has been on the US watchlist of “worldwide terrorists” since September 2015.
Click on on the video participant above to observe the complete interview. Click on right here to observe FRANCE 24’s earlier unique with Abu Obeida Youssef Al-Aanabi from Might 2019.