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allAfrica.com: Africa: AQIM Threatens Sahel, Maghreb Security

Magharebia(WashingtonDC)

Africa:AQIMThreatensSahel,MaghrebSecurity
BYBAKARIGUEYE,8NOVEMBER2013

NouakchottTheSahelSaharanregionisintheeyeofthestorm,MaghrebandEuropeanexpertsagreedThursday(November7th)attheendofa2daysecurity summitinNouakchott. TheMalicrisisstillechoesacrosstheSahelregion,whiletheArabSpring"resultedinachaoticsituationinLibyaandTunisia",politicalanalystDidiOuldSadektold attendeesattheMaghrebCentreforStrategicStudies. "TheMaghrebhasbeenverymuchaffectedbytheArabSpring,whichhasresultedinachaoticsituationinLibyaandTunisia,"headdedinhisopeningstatement. "ThesecuritysituationintheSahelisofparamountimportancetous,"saidHelmutRefainfromtheKonradAdenauerFoundation,whichorganisedtheeventwiththe Mauritaniancentre. "TerrorismdoesnotonlyaffectthisregionandweareawarethatwhatishappeningintheSahelisdangerousfortherestoftheworld,"headded. Inapresentationtitled"ThesecuritycrisisintheSahelregion:causesandrepercussions",policechiefMohamedAbdallahiOuldTalebAbeidiofferedacomprehensive pictureofthepresenceandactionsofAQIMinnorthernMali. InAbeidi'sview,"theinsecurityintheSahelisduetoseveralfactorsincludingthedifficultiesthatthestatesfacetomaintaintheirsecurity,theproblemofbordersand theprecarioussituationinwhichthepopulationsareliving." Headded,"AQIMhasadoptedastrategyofblendinginwiththepopulation.OperationServalledtoitsdefeatinthecities,butithasretreatedtotheAgharghar Mountains.Terroristsarenowmovingoveravastexpanseofterritory." "Since2012,terroristattackshaveincreasedby40percent,"hesaid. "Thetitleofthisconferenceoughttobe'TheimpactofthesecuritysituationintheMaghrebontheSahel',becausetheproblembeganintheMaghreb,"saidBiladi editorinchief,MoussaOuldHamed. ProfessorM'hamedAlMalikifromQadiIyadUniversityinMarrakechurgedNorthAfricannationsto"cooperatetocreateandimplementtheMaghrebintegration projectoratleastcoordinatetheireffortsonthesecurityfrontproperly". AlMalikilamentedthatMaghrebcountrieswereactingindependentlyofeachotherinsteadofworkingtogetheragainstterrorism. "AQIMarrivedinnorthernMaliin2003.Itsettledinverypeacefullythankstogoodrelationswiththelocalandevennationalauthorities.ItisstillthereafterOperation Serval,whosemilitaryobjectivewasnotachieved,"saidHammaAghMahmoud,aMalianexministerandformeradvisortothepresident'soffice. "Atthemoment,thecentralauthoritieshavelostcontroloftheAzawad,exceptforthecitieswheretheFrencharmyandMINUSMAtroopsarepresent,"henoted. Mahmoudadded,"InlightofwhathasjusthappenedinnorthernMali,itisclearthatterroristsareoperatingwithmuchgreaterfundsthanthosegainedfromhostage taking." InapresentationonsecuringSahelbordersandMauritania'sexperience,ColonelElBoukhariMouemelnoteditwas"vitalforallcountriesintheregiontomaketheir borderssecureinordertotacklethechallenge"ofterrorism. ThatviewwassharedbyColonelSidiMohamedHamadi,whosaid:"SincethefallofKadhafi,Libyahasbecomeaninexhaustiblesourceofarmsfortraffickersand terrorists.Between800,000and1millionweaponsareincirculation."

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