Al-Mourabitoun (militant group)
| Al-Mourabitoun | |
|---|---|
| المرابطون Participant in Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present) 2012 insurgency in northern Mali |
|
|
|
| Active | August 2013-Present |
| Ideology | Salafist jihadism |
| Leaders | Abubakr al-Masri † [1] Mokhtar Belmokhtar[2] |
| Area of operations |  Mali Niger Libya |
| Strength | Under 100 (May 2014, French claim)[1] |
| Part of |  Al-Qaeda |
| Originated as | Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa Masked Men Brigade |
| Allies | Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb |
| Battles and wars | Northern Mali conflict 2015 Bamako hotel attack |
Al-Mourabitoun (Arabic: المرابطون al-Murābiṭūn; "The Sentinels") is an African militant jihadist organisation formed by a merger between Ahmed Ould Amer, a.k.a. Ahmed al-Tilemsi's Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa and Mokhtar Belmokhtar's Masked Men Brigade.[3]
Al-Mourabitoun is composed mostly of Tuaregs and Arabs from the northern Mali regions of Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao, but also includes Algerians, Tunisians and other nationalities. Its area of operations is in the north of Mali, near towns such as Tessalit and Ansongo.[1]
However, the group's establishment was announced by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the group's leader who was said to be an Algerian veteran of the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan and the 2002 battles against American forces in the same country,[4] later identified by French Intelligence as an Egyptian known as Abubakr al-Nasri (al-Masri). Abubakr was reportedly killed by French Special forces in North Eastern Mali between 10 and 17 April 2014, as was senior commander Omar Ould Hamaha weeks earlier.[1]
The group is named after the Almoravids, a North African Islamic dynasty of the 11th and 12th centuries.[4]
The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the UN,[5] Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
On 14 May 2015, Adnan Abu Walid Sahraoui released an audio message pledging the group's allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[6] Belmokhtar issued a statement several days later rejecting this pledge and stating that it had not been approved beforehand, seeming to indicate a split in the group.[7][8]
On 20 November 2015, Al-Mourabitoun claimed responsibility for an attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, that killed at least 27 people.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Mali: qui sont les nouveaux chefs des katibas jihadistes?". Radio France Internationale. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ "Mokhtar Belmokhtar now leads ‘Al Qaeda in West Africa’". The Long War Journal. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ "Belmokhtar's militants 'merge' with Mali's Mujao". BBC. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
- ^ a b "Al-Murabitun: North Africa’s Jihadists Reach into History in Their Battle against European "Crusaders"". Jamestown Foundation. 17 October 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
- ^ "The List established and maintained by the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee with respect to individuals, groups, undertakings and other entities associated with Al-Qaida". United Nations Security Council Committee 1267. UN.org. 2014-11-19. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
- ^ "Belmokhtar's jihadist group in N.Africa vows allegiance to IS". Yahoo. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ "Confusion surrounds West African jihadists’ loyalty to Islamic State". The Long War Journal. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ^ "Sahara Islamist leader Belmokhtar dismisses Islamic State pledge: report". Yahoo. Reuters. 17 May 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ^ "'No more hostages' as Mali hotel stormed". Al-Jazeera. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
