Algeria insecurity conundrum threatens North Africa, Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa

09/04/12

AHMED CHAOUI
Washington / Morocco News Board---    The sad (unconfirmed) news of the execution in Northern Mali of Mr. Taher Touati, the Algerian vice-consul in Gao, Mali, by a terror group called Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa [MUJAO] created a wave of indignation in the Algerian independent press.

Facing outrage from the Algerian public unhappy with their government’s response to MUJAO kidnapping of their diplomats in Gao, the Algerian official and semi-official press turned to their usual ,old and new, scapegoats to justify their political and military paralysis. The unfortunate, and at times disturbing, accusations by major Algerian news outlets, of Moroccan and Qatari involvements in the financing and support of the MUJAO.

The idea that Moroccans and Qataris are behind a terror group responsible for the killing of Mali civilians , and Algerian civil servant, is offensive to all. Yet, the Algerian government has not stopped this accusation from spreading in its official press organs. If the Algerian Military Intelligence Agencies had factual proof of Morocco’s involvement in the kidnapping of Algerian diplomats, the Algerian government would have taken the necessary measures to showcase it.
Spreading these rumors and innuendo are attempts by the Algerian military to mask their lack of an action plan on how to recover the kidnapped Algerian diplomats in the Malian desert. In addition, the Algerian diplomacy has been using this terror attack to refocus the world attention from the involvement of elements of their proxy guerilla movement, the Western Sahara Separatists Polisario front, in terror activities along the various criminal groups operating in the Algerian Sahara and the Sahel.

The recent decision of the right-wing Spanish government to bar its citizen from traveling to the Polisario camps located in the Algerian city of Tindouf was a big setback for the Algerian government attempts to rebuke what Algiers called baseless “Moroccan” accusation of Polisario fighters’ involvement in terror operations in the region. It is evident that Madrid’s decision to issue such warning was based on security assessments by Spain’s intelligence agency, the CNI. For the Polisario and their Algerian handlers, the fact that the “anti-Morocco” CNI issued such directive was a verdict on Algerian and Polisario failed security policies in controlling The Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and its affiliates in the Sahel and beyond. As the security and political situations keep deteriorating out of control in Mali, It is evident that the “Algerian terrorism problem” is turning into a regional insecurity conundrum threatening North Africa, the Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa. The Algerian military anti-terror “agencies” have lost control over the armed groups operating the region as inter-fighting among AQIM intensified creating sub-terror groups acting solo.

MUAJO is a group of former AQMI fighters ,mostly Algerian, who were not happy with their share of terror booty. In fact, MJAO is an Algerian problem that needs an Algerian solution. It is preposterous to suggest that Morocco and Qatar are behind such criminals. For the rest of the world, including European and American intelligence agencies, the facts on the grounds are lucid and the insinuations of Moroccan involvement are simply “laughable”.

Ahmed Chaoui is a Moroccan-America writer based in Virginia.

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Comments (3)  

 

-5 #1 RE: Algeria insecurity conundrum threatens North Africa, Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa — Another Algerian 2012-09-05 15:19

A genuine writer would have been more inspired by the fate of the late vice-council and less by propaganda and insinuations. The death of this young man is a real shock to algerian people as he was from a very poor background, he studied hard to succeed and when he did so, leaves behind him a widow he married only a few months ago. In a word he was an ordinary man like you can find millions in Maghreb. Now regarding the opinions expressed in this article, I have to say that they are biased, I have read hundreds of articles dedicated to the same subject in three languages and from a large spectrum of political sensibility and what I found all serious journalists/ana lysts/specialis ts underpin the geopolotical background. First large quantity of oil is discovered in north of Mali and niger,that USA and France, just to mention these two countires, have massive interests in he region which is monitored by drones and satellites, and always remember that wherever petrole is you will fin terrorist ground and ...USA Why Morocco is suspected as being behind MJAO? So far, this group's action seem to exclusively suit Morocco's interests: rapt of three european ngos workers i Tindouf to tarnish Polisario's repuation, infact what Rabat has been doing lately was to portray Sahrawis as elememts contributing to the region's instability - the present article is doing exactly what is needed to reinforce this idea - via terrorist links. There were also terrorist attacks inside Algeria's terroritory like the attack against a agendarmerie barracks in Tamanrasset and another in Ouarggla. The idea is to push Algeria to carry a military intervention in Maly and to help the terrorists organisation defeat it. Once defeaed, Algeria's stability will take a serious blow. This is the plan Mr. Chaoui, if you want to grab what is going there, I am afraid you need to be an independent mind.

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+3 #2 Algeria is playing with Fire! — Maha 2012-09-06 09:00

HE who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind! Algerian government was and is still a major sponsor of sectarian groups and terrorism activities in Sahara, including the MUJAO Group in West Africa, resulting in their supply of arms and ammunition and spreading all sort of propaganda, and we all know this. Now they are accusing Morocco and Quatar these terrorism acts! However, to save its face, Algera has no choice but to blame other parts especially Morocco, the favourite subject for all algerians when it come to hatred. If algerian government says the truth, it will set off a second civil war, throwing the country into turmoil as in the 90s. Remember algeria is still a 51 Zone, and could experience a lava flow at any time.

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+1 #3 RE: Algeria insecurity conundrum threatens North Africa, Sahel and sub-Saharan Africa — Morcelli 2012-09-06 10:58

Mr. Chaoui,
There is time when you need to stop this nonsensical propaganda that the Algerians are rightfully accusing Morocco of.
The article that you picked up from their worthless newspaper L'Expression is not worth repeating here in Morocco board. Besides it was not Algeria who accused Morocco it was the Polisario garbage with the name Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, their so called minister of exterior who made those statements.
We need to go beyond the never ending tit for tat game. We should be smarter and refrain from playing the mediocre Algerian media game. No wonder no one takes us seriously. What many Moroccans are doing are hurting the Moroccan cause by lowering their standards to the Algerian media.
Algeria accuses Morocco of creating MUJAO and Morocco accuses Algeria of hosting terrorists in Tindouf. I challenge you and anyone else here to point us to a serious entity that believes this crap.

What you people are doing is not right and it will not help. The only way to help your country is through truthful and unbiased reporting. When EL mundo published pictures of injured Palestinian kids and told the world that the kids were Sahraouis, it hurt them more than it helped them and they were forced to apologize to the Moroccans which they were not ready to do. The truth will set you free, and the truth here is no one at least in this board believes that the Polisario works with AQMI the same way no one believes that Morocco and Qatar created Mujao.

I am sure that you can do yourself a big favor if you just report quality materials, you seem to be articulate and I'd rather see you using your talent for the good and not mimic the horrific Algerian reporting.

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