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| Africa North |
| Algeria refuses to negotiate with terrorists |
| 2013-06-26 |
| [MAGHAREBIA] Algerian authorities stand by their position of no negotiations with gangs. Al-Qaeda splinter group Movement for Tawhid and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) just offered to swap one of the Algerian diplomats kidnapped last year in Gao for three "mujahedeen" held in Algeria, AFP reported. "If Algeria rejects the proposal, the Algerian hostages' lives will be in danger," MUJAO front man Abu Walid Sahraoui threatened at the week-end. But Algeria will not negotiate with terrorist groups, presidential advisor Kamal Rezzag Bara confirmed Monday (June 24th) in Oran. This means that Algeria will not discuss the release of the diplomats with their MUJAO captors, he added. Algeria not only refuses to pay ransom to terrorists, but also refuses to make any political concessions to terrorist groups, he explained on the side-lines of the two-day Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF). It is "proven that ransoms and drug trafficking finance terrorist groups", Bara said. On April 5th, 2012, armed Islamist fighters kidnapped the Algerian consular staff members. The al-Qaeda allies demanded the release of MUJAO detainees in Algeria and a ransom of 15 million euros. Three of the Algerian hostages were freed five months ago. MUJAO announced the execution of the vice-consul Tahar Touati in September of last year, but Algerian authorities refused to confirm the information. Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci on June 10th received "reassuring" information about the kidnapped Algerian diplomats. "Information in the possession of the ministry of foreign affairs is satisfactory," he said on Algerian National Radio. "We are not worried, since they are still alive. Yet I cannot say more." "Each one of us is worried about them," he added. Other countries have begun to align themselves with Algeria's position on dealing with terrorists, the foreign minister said on national radio. "More efforts must be made at the level of the international community so that the handling of ransoms will be dealt with in a strict manner and lead all countries, governments and parties not to finance terrorism," he added. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 "If you harm the diplomat, we'll immediately put your three men to death. Your choice" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-06-26 09:32 |