Ransom unifies rivals to force Austria to submit to Al-Qaeda

There are recent new rapprochement indicators between Mokhtar Belmokhtar, Sahara deposed commander of Al-Qaeda Maghreb and the new commanders, according to corroborating Touareg sources.“There is a shared desire to join efforts to have a successful abduction of two Austrian tourists and share gains from it,” the same sources told Echorouk.

According to sources in Vienna, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which said it held Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea Kloiber hostage demanded a ransom of 5 million Euros.

Hassan Faghagha, Touareg rebel leader said he could confirm that the hostages and their kidnappers were not in the Kidal region (regional capital of Mali’s Touaregs) neither in all borders territories with Algeria.

“They may be now or later in northern Timbuktu where Arab tribes live in borders between Mali and Mauritania,” Faghagha told Echorouk.

“Al-Qaeda is now divided in two groups which are organisationally separated and tactically allied,” he added.

“The first group is led by Belmokhtar and the second one is under the leadership of Abdelhamid Abu Zid and Yahia Abu Ammar, loyal to Abdelmalek Drudkel alias Abu Musab Abdelouadud, Algerian leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.”

 This new rapprochement between Belmokhtar and his rivals shows that the abduction was prepared in enough of time throughout two main axes.

“Firstly, the kidnappers were keeping watch on Tunisian territory.”

The decision to move to Tunisia likely came after the kidnappers had been convinced that the abduction would be impossible in Algeria due to stringent security measures.

“The second axe consists in providing appropriate conditions to deliver the hostages and take the ransom.”

Many observers say the best place for that is Timbuktu.

 “Central power in Bamako has always worked in keeping a secrete contact with Al-Qaeda’s leaders in the Sahara,” said Faghagha.”  French foreign intelligence recommended Austrian government to carry out direct negotiations in northern Mali via a mediator from the region.