Ransom money is a setback for the struggle against impunity and Islamist violence

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) fears that the release of four French citizens who had been kept hostage in the Sahara will be a setback for the struggle against impunity and Islamist violence in north-west Africa. "According to Tuareg reports, France promised impunity for the controversial Islamist Tuareg leader Iyad ag Ghaly and a payment of 20 to 25 million Euros in ransom money to the mediators and the Islamists in return for the hostages’ release" said Ulrich Delius, the STP's Africa-consultant on Thursday. After the leading French daily paper "Le Monde" confirmed the ransom payment, France now assured that no "public money" was used. Initially, the French government had categorically denied any ransom payment. After three years of being held hostage, the four victims could return to France on Wednesday.

Tuareg leader Ghaly is considered to be one of the most important instigators of the Islamist revolt in northern Mali. His Islamist Ansar al-Dine movement was closely associated with the Al Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) and the "Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa" (Mujao) which was responsible for numerous amputations as measures of punishment, following the introduction of the Sharia law in northern. Mujao had even published footage of these crimes against humanity on Youtube. "It is a scandal that Ghaly was promised impunity: Because of these crimes, more than 500,000 people were forced to flee from northern Mali," criticized Delius. "In order to work towards reconciliation in Mali, the masterminds behind the Islamist violence must be held responsible at court."

Ghaly is as colorful personality. He had already acted as a negotiator in the 1990s, when European citizens had been kept hostage in the Sahara. Recently, France had requested mediators from Saudi Arabia and Qatar to contact him and ask him to help set the hostages free.

"Of course, we are happy that the lives of the four hostages were saved – but their release also means a setback for the fight against AQMI terrorists in the Sahara," said Delius. "Apart from drug trafficking, trade in European hostages is another very lucrative line of "business" for the terrorist groups to fill their war chest." AQMI has mercenary troops, consisting mainly of young unemployed people from the Sahara, financed by several dozen million Euros of ransom money from kidnappings. "It is absurd that France has again paid 20 million Euros to the terrorists and more than 200 million Euros for its military operation in northern Mali at the same time," said Delius. "…no matter what source the ransom money is from."