{"id":402505,"date":"2011-04-27T15:59:26","date_gmt":"2011-04-27T15:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/04\/27\/al-qaeda-releases-video-of-french-hostages\/"},"modified":"2011-04-27T15:59:26","modified_gmt":"2011-04-27T15:59:26","slug":"al-qaeda-releases-video-of-french-hostages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/27\/al-qaeda-releases-video-of-french-hostages\/","title":{"rendered":"Al-Qaeda releases video of French hostages"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Al-Qaeda’s North African arm has released a video showing four French nuclear workers kidnapped last year in north Africa urging France to pull its troops out of Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

A copy of the video, distributed on Tuesday\u00a0by SITE, a US-based terrorism watchdog, shows a series of photographs of Pierre Legrand, Daniel Larribe, Thierry Dol and Marc Furrer with armed\u00a0men standing behind them.<\/p>\n

Over the photos is recorded an audio track that appears to be the men reading a prepared statement, one by one.<\/p>\n

“We urge the president of the French republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, to respond positively to al-Qaeda’s demand he withdraw French troops from Afghanistan, as the French have really no interest in the war in Afghanistan,” they say.<\/p>\n

According to the voices, the recordings were made on April 11, 12 and 13.<\/p>\n

Reacting to the video, Laurent\u00a0Wauquiez, France’s minister for European affairs, told the French news network BFM-TV that Paris would “not allow its foreign policy to be dictated by kidnappers”.<\/p>\n

In September last year, armed men working for AQIM kidnapped seven people, including the four men in the video,\u00a0from a uranium mining town<\/p>\n

In February, three of the group, a French woman, a Togolese man\u00a0and a Madagascan man\u00a0were released, but sources close to the negotiations say that the group has demanded $132m in ransom for the remaining hostages.<\/p>\n

It is believed the\u00a0four men\u00a0are being held in secret camps in the deserts of neighbouring Mali.<\/p>\n

‘Double message’<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is now starting to be impatient,” said a source, who wished to remain anonymous, close to the hostage negotiations.<\/p>\n

“Asking France for the departure of its troops from Afghanistan, it is impatience, it is a threat,” the source added.<\/p>\n

Mohamed Ould Sidy Ahmed, a politician from northern Mali, where AQIM is most active, said the video of the four hostages gave a “double message”.<\/p>\n

Firstly, while three others kidnapped alongside the French had been freed, the main condition for freeing the remaining four hostages would be meeting bin Laden’s demand that French troops leave Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

“The second message is also important,” he said. “AQIM is increasing its tone vis-a-vis Paris. To AQIM, France is dragging\u00a0 its feet. Threats are beginning to land.”<\/p>\n

Bokari Diko, a Malian journalist, also underlined the significance of the latest message.<\/p>\n

“We are entering a critical phase for the French hostages,” said Diko.<\/p>\n

“Generally, after this kind of message AQIM steps things up a notch, following with an ultimatum and the execution of hostages.”<\/p>\n

Edwin Dyer, a British hostage and Michel Germeneau, a French hostage, were executed in 2009 and 2010 respectively following similar threats.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

View article:
\nAl-Qaeda releases video of French hostages<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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