Belmokhtar surrender likely to further weaken al-Qaeda's Maghreb branch

2008-04-28

Negotiations are under way for Mokhtar Belmokhtar, Sahara-region leader for al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, to surrender to Algerian authorities.

By Nazim Fethi for Magharebia in Algiers – 28/04/08

[Getty Images] An Algerian fire fighter douses a car following a suicide bombing in April 2007. Algerian terrorist Mokhtar Belmokhtar is reportedly negotiating his surrender due to personal opposition against al-Qaeda's use of suicide attacks.

Algerian terrorist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar is said to be negotiating the terms of his surrender, a move expected to deal a major blow to al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb. The surrender confirms reports of deep internal divisions within the organisation following the decision to carry out suicide attacks against civilians.

A key player for al-Qaeda's Maghreb branch, Belmokhtar supplied arms to the underground fighters in the north and is responsible for setting up terrorist cells in the Sahel, particularly in Mauritania and Mali. He is considered a major mine of information for fighting al-Qaeda.

Belmokhtar, also known under the aliases of Khaled Abou El Abbas and Lâaouar (the one-eyed), has been observing a truce for more than a year. According to local press reports, the former Greater Sahara leader could already be under Army protection in a camp near Tindouf.

"[He is] in a secure location, accompanied by 15 of his partisans," said influential Tamanrasset businessman El Hadj Bettou, who is reportedly mediating between Belmokhtar and the authorities. He has already met with Belmokhtar on several occasions and arranged for the terrorist to see his parents and brother.

The attorney for Belmokhtar, meanwhile, wants authorities to speed up negotiations for his client's surrender. Lahcène Laroui is concerned that Belmokhtar could be assassinated by other terrorists to keep him – and his knowledge of their plans – out of the hands of security forces.

Belmokhtar’s imminent surrender, following that of Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) leader Hassan Hattab last year, indicates deep divisions within the heart of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Leader Abdelmalek Deroukdel is finding himself increasingly isolated, particularly since the terrorist group changed its strategy and began copying the type of suicide attacks carried out by al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Belmokhtar, a 37-year-old originally from Ghardaïa (500 km south of Algiers), fought in Afghanistan before embarking on a career in the terrorist underground network upon his return to Algeria in 1993. While he was considered Hattab's likely successor as GSPC head, he found himself sidelined in 2006 when Deroukdel made a unilateral declaration of allegiance to al-Qaeda. Still, he carried a great deal of weight as a result of his continued influence in the south and his control over the arms supply.

But the former leader in the Sahara was not just bringing in weapons. He was allegedly responsible for several terrorist acts, some of which have yet to come before the courts. These include the assassination in 1993 of 13 policemen in Ghardaïa, the 1996 attack on a pipe factory which killed five foreigners and several security officers, and the 2003 kidnapping of 32 European tourists in southern Algeria. He shared the 5 million-euro ransom payment with the former leader in the region, Amari Saifi, alias Abderrezak El Para, currently imprisoned in Algeria.

As with Hattab and Saifi before him, Belmokhtar’s case could take several years. Indeed, well after Hattab’s surrender, cases in which he is involved are still under way in Algerian courts.

Although the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation expired at the end of 2006, the door remains open, according to Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni.

"We cannot turn away a terrorist who wants to hand himself in, just because the charter deadline has passed," Zerhouni said.

"As far as we’re concerned, any reformed terrorist is the equivalent of dozens of lives saved," he added.