August 22 - Last Spanish hostages released - suicide bombing in Nema
After nearly 9 months in captivity in northeast Mali, Roque Pascual and Albert Vilalta have been freed. Their release came days after the freeing of a Malian national, Omar the Saharan, from a Mauritanian prison who'd just been given 12 years for accepting money to kidnap the Spanish last November (a third hostage was released last March).
The Spanish government forbade any mention of it but payment of around €8m has been confirmed by the negotiators. This link explains how the payments were made over many months.
More news and links here.
Although the kidnapping, extortion and killing of locals by AQIM or GSPC continues in the region, the release of Roque Pascual and Albert Vilalta means that currently there are no European hostages being held in the Sahara.
A few days later a suicide bomber was killed while driving his car at the army barracks in Nema, southeastern Mauritania. Perhaps not coincidentally it was said the motive for the French-Mauritanian raid in Mali mentioned below, was in response for a planned strike in Mauritania by AQIM out of Mali.
August 10 - New restrictions in the Gilf
Expensive escorts - and not just a soldier in a shell suit - are now required in the Gilf. More news here.
July 26-27 - French hostage killed by AQIM in Mali following failed release attempt
The French president confirmed that the 78-year-old Frenchman, Michele Germaneau, kidnapped in Niger in April (see below) had been executed on Saturday in retaliation to a dawn raid last Thursday by French forces providing '"technical and logistical" assistance to Mauritanian troops.
Although other less credible explanations were initially given for 
the French/Mauritanian operation, namely "... to neutralise the group of terrorists and to prevent the planned attack against Mauritanian targets" - Sarkozy stated the operation was what it seemed, a failed attempt to free Michele Germaneau (pictured right in an AQIM video) in response to an AQIM deadline issued 15 days ago to execute him, unless AQIM (GSPC) prisoners were released.
The deadline would have expired today which may explain the French operation.
As Pierre Camatte, a former French hostage of AQIM in Mali warned on Saturday, after the raid but before the news of the death was announced.
"Mounting an operation like this to rescue the hostage is so dangerous for him. There will be repercussions and it will up the stakes. I am very, very worried." (Camatte was released February 2010 and was said by some to be a French agent working in the Sahel.
The likely location of the raid intended to release Michele Germaneau would be east of Tessalit (its airport would be the only one for miles). This puts it a 1000km east of the Mauritanian border, itself is hundreds of kilometres from anywhere of substance in Mauritania. The 'planned attack against Mauritanian targets...' story can be interpreted as a way to help validate the collaboration with Mauritanian troops and so legitimise what was ostensibly a French-led operation which, apart from killing 7 AQIM militants - tragically failed in it's goal. In Sarkozy's words "Unfortunately Michele was not there."
However on Monday Le Monde also reported that "... " Paris was convinced" that Michele Germaneau "had been dead for several weeks." which makes you wonder why the raid - unless the planned AQIM attack into Mauritania was indeed possible. This seemingly well-informed French blog seems to think so and states the raid was northwest of Timbuktu. Elsewhere it is said that negotiations with the captors had suddenly become stilted and abrupt and then stopped altogether, suggesting the unexpected death of Germaneau who, in addition to his age and the season, had run out of medication for a heart condition. Pierre Camatte's quote above could have been a way of pre-suggesting the 'soon to be announced' death of Germaneau.
Mali was not informed of the raid until the very last minute - probably because it 'did not want word to get out' as stated in this BBC report from Bamako. It's thought elements of the Malian state and military support or assist AQIM, although in April permission was given by Mali for neighbouring states (ie: not France) to pursue militants fleeing over its borders into its territory.
The direct action of France (with Mauritania) is thought by some to raise all sorts of prickly issues of colonial interference - but in a trade and diplomatic sense this goes on all over former French West Africa anyway - in some countries like Niger and Mali more than others. Pre-empting a scramble ahead of others, like the Chinese or Americans, for Saharan mineral resources is also cited as an explanation for the French action.
Some views on the aftermath from non-Western media sources here and here. And here an jihadist website carries claims by a jihadi supporter that 9 members of French special forces were killed in action. You'd expect the GSPC/AQIM would be crowing about this, so it seems to be merely jihadi propaganda.
It was thought the kidnapping and beheading was
the work of the hardline AQIM group led by Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, (pictured right) who was also said to have executed British hostage Edwin Dyer in a similar manner last year when demands were not met.
Video footage of what is thought to be Abou Zeid shying away from the camera, as well as other key AQIM personnel including Moktar Belmoktar, was published on youtube a few weeks ago.
There are up to five AQIM groups or 'katibat' based in northern Mali who appear to operate semi-independently from each other, and it is Moktar Belmoktar's less hardline group which is thought to be holding the two remaining hostages, Spaniards Albert Vilalta, 35 and Roque Pascual, 50, kidnapped in Mauritania last November (see Archived News). MBM, as he is known, is thought to be more interested in using hostages to make ransom money than to release GSPC prisoners.
Three weeks ago 11 Algerian gendarmerie, part of a new border patrol group based out of Tamanrasset, were reported to have been killed near the Algerian border town of Tin Zaouatine, east of Tessalit, in an AQIM ambush that has also been attributed to Abou Zeid.
It is thought that AQIM groups based over the border in Mali, frequently approach Tin Zaouatine from the south to make use of the GSM phone signals which reach over the border into Mali.
The conclusion of my speculations on 27 July (which could all be wrong).
May 22 - Libya and the US
After many years of talk Libya is said to be offering tourist visas for American citizens. More comment here.
April 23 - Hostages released, new hostages taken, new ferry to Egypt
The two Italian hostages were released in Mali last week but today it was reported a French national and his Algerian driver were seized 150-km south of Assamaka on the old piste into Niger. This 'Azzawad' area has long been known to be risky.
The Algerian driver was released a few days later in north-eastern Mali, and on May 14 AQIM announced it was holding 78-year-old Michele Germaneau.
There may finally be a revived European car ferry to Egypt; from Venice to Alex via Syria. It could make visiting the Gilf less complicated, but you have to wonder how it will be handled in Alexandria.
March 29 - Libya re-opens - Spanish and French hostages released - Algeria access limited
Libya re-opens to Schengen tourists.
Only the Spanish woman hostage has been released so far in Mali, as well as in February the Frenchman taken in Menaka. Two Spanish and two Italians remain.
Many areas in far southern Algeria have been mysteriously closed to tourism (except the piste to In Guezzam).
February 19 - Successful coup in Niger
The first coup of the year kicked off last night in Niger, deposing the unpopular president after he rigged the constitution. Niger now has a new military government. Some news here.
February 15 - Libya closed to EU tourists
Libya suspends visas to European tourists (but not Brits), possibly to get at the Swiss. More here or here.
A few days ago it was reported that the payment of a €5m ransom has been agreed by the Spanish government to release the 3 Spanish hostages held in Mauritania. As on previous occasions Libya has acted as an intermediary to deliver the cash.
January 20 - News
Back from the Amguid Crater Trek, there's a slide show here. Same time, same place next year.
You can also finally read my yarn on the 2006 Empty Quarter Crossing here.
Of the hostages in Mali no news other than threats to kill them if AQIM prisoners in Mali are not released.
I'm doing a talk on the Sahara at Adventure Travel Live in London next Saturday - Theatre 5, 2pm - and there will be some specials on by books and dvds on the Trailblazer Guides Stand A35.
January 3 - Routes updated - Kidnappings Map added
I'm off to the Immidir for a couple of weeks.
I've also updated the Trans Sahara Routes page which is usually the most viewed page on this website, and added a map of kidnappings in the Sahara since 2003 in an attempt to help first-timers assess where the dangers might be year by year.
Archived News 2008-9
