Sahel countries' intelligence chiefs to meet in Algeria to map out joint anti-terrorism action

Chiefs of the intelligence services of Algeria, Mali, Niger and Mauritania will meet Wednesday in Algiers to discuss ways and means of setting up a combined intelligence centre to fight more efficiently against the scourge of terrorism in the Sahel region, a security source said.

• “But to be extremely efficient, the anti-terrorist coalition needs to open up to other countries of the region,” the source suggested.

• The Algiers talks are scheduled to take place three days after Sunday’s meeting of the chiefs of general staff of the four countries’ armies in Tamanrasset in the south of Algeria, where they highlighted their total readiness to step up the struggle against the terrorist group calling itself “Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb” (AQIM).

• AQIM is somewhat active in all four countries and operates across their desert borders.

• “At this meeting, there were differences and points in common. We’re all agreed that it is imperative to stamp out the nefarious scourge of terrorism. Now we need to agree on how, down to the finest detail,” the source asserted.

• In mid-September, AQIM claimed responsibility for taking seven hostages including 5 Frenchmen, a Togolese and a Madagascan in northern Niger, who have since been transferred to northeastern Mali, close to the Algerian border.
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• The seven hostages were kidnapped by an armed terrorist gang in a September 16 raid on a uranium mining town in Niger.