GSPC kills hostage and France under shock

The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) announced Sunday it killed an elderly French aid worker held hostage in the Sahara, a few hours after deadline had expired.

• This operation came in response to the French and Mauritanian attack on the GSPC killing six of its members.
• Michel Germaneau, 78, was a retired engineer and suffering from heart disease. He had been working for a humanitarian association in Niger when he was abducted in April. The GSPC said it would release him if a number of its prisoners were freed. On July 11th, it threatened to kill him if its demands were not met within 15 days.
• Earlier on Sunday, Al Jazeera broadcast an audio recording of the voice of terrorist Abu Musab Abdelouadoud alias Droukdel that described the attack on their strongholds as a “despicable French act.”
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• Droukdel also said “Sarkozy was unable to free his compatriot through this failed operation, but he definitely opened one of the gates of hell on himself, his people and his nation.”
• “As a quick response to the despicable French act, we confirm that we have killed hostage Germaneau in revenge for our six brothers who were killed in the treacherous operation,” he added.
• This happened as the Agence France Press reported citing the foreign ministry that the French authorities made efforts to rescue Michel Germaneau but the kidnappers rejected dialogue and did not submit any determined demand.
• The ministry’s statement reflects France’s race with time to try to rescue Germaneau. It also shows that France is afraid of the consequences of its military operation it carried out in Mauritania on Thursday.
• Earlier on Thursday, a unit of the Mauritanian army reinforced by 30 French soldiers carried out an attack on the GSPC’s strongholds in Mali. Aircrafts directly stroke the terrorists killing six of them. Others escaped and run away before land force had arrived and continued its attack for many days.
• Observers believe that the operation failed because the French forces did not have exact information about the GSPC. They caused tension between Mali and Mauritania which deployed its army without coordinating with Bamako.
• Mauritanian government avoided to respond the debate about the legitimacy of participating in the operation, its position towards the French military presence on its lands and the current crisis with Mali.
• Politic opposition officials criticised the Mauritanian government, saying the involvement of the army outside borders needs the Parliament’s approval and the armed forces should respect the Mauritanian law.
• The International French radio said the Algerian government participated in the military operation carried out by the Mauritanian and French forces.