Algeria alleges and decries ransom payment to ‘terrorists’ by foreign government

Posted On 7 December 2020

Number of times this article was read : 133

Algeria’s prime minister has sounded the alarm over reported ransoms paid to “terrorist groups” for the freeing of hostages, weeks after the liberation of a French aid worker in Mali. “Algeria notes, with great concern, continued transfers to terrorist groups of huge sums of money as ransoms to free hostages,” Abdelaziz Djerad told African leaders at a summit of African Union heads of government late Sunday. This approach “undermines our counter-terrorism efforts”, he said, quoted by Algerian media. His comments came after neighbouring Mali released some 200 prisoners in October ahead of the release of four hostages including French aid worker Sophie Petronin.

One of the released prisoners, a jihadist later arrested in Algeria, said in a video broadcast on Algerian TV that France had been involved in talks with Bamako and a key Malian jihadist leader linked with Al-Qaeda.
Mustapha Derrar said he had heard that 207 prisoners would be released along with the payment of a ransom, adding that he had heard the figures 10 million euros and 30 million euros. It was not possible to verify his claims or the conditions under which he made the statement.

In November, Algeria’s defence minister said a “large ransom” had been paid to “terrorist groups in exchange for the release of three hostages”, adding that such payments violated UN resolutions. Djerad on Monday called for “concerted action to eradicate violent extremism, combat terrorism and dry up the sources of its funding”. France has consistently denied involvement in negotiations for the release of the hostages or having paid a ransom for Petronin’s freedom. On October 12, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the jihadists’ release of Petronin was a “humanitarian gesture”, saying “we were not part of these negotiations”.

Rumours of ransoms paid for the release of western hostages in the Sahel region are common but rarely confirmed. Djerad’s statement comes amid Algeria’s latest diplomatic fallout with its former colonial occupier, which has said it is considering reducing the number of visas it grants to countries that refuse to take back nationals illegally in the country or suspected of being radicalised.

AFP
Other Articles in this Week's Issue<< Egypt: French President Macron fails to confront Sisi on Egypt’s human rights abusesAlgeria: Iconic opposition activist Karim Tabbou gets one-year suspended sentence >>
The North Africa Journal's WhatsApp Group
.

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Book: Lafarge Group and the Islamic State

Book: Lafarge Group and the Islamic State

Lafarge’s indictment for financing terrorism reveals corporate entanglements with ISIS to maintain operations in Syria. In Personne morale, Justine Augier exposes how multinationals like Lafarge navigate ethics and profit in conflict zones, raising questions on global accountability.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This