Kidnappings Highlight Al-Qaida's Rise In The Sahara

Recent U.S. cables leaked by the WikiLeaks website show al-Qaida gaining a foothold in the Sahel, a lawless region in the Sahara desert, straddling the African nations of Niger, Mali, Mauritania and Algeria. How to counter and curb growing Islamist militancy and banditry in this vast, poorly policed zone is a priority for governments in West Africa, Washington and beyond.

Motorbikes buzz up and down the streets of the ancient, sandy town of Agadez, the regional capital of northern Niger and the gateway to the desert. The town is largely empty of tourists who used to flock in their thousands to the historic town, en route to and from the desert.

Mayor Yahaya Namassa Kane partly blames a three-year Tuareg rebellion for their absence. But he's also irked by Western travel advisories issued after seven foreigners were abducted in mid-September in northern Niger.

"Those who kidnapped these people do not come from this region," he said. "They came from neighboring countries and took their hostages across the border.

"But I think branding our region, Agadez and northern Niger, as insecure — a red-alert zone — is a bit much. That's not the case at all."

The militant group al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb claims it snatched the five nationals from France, the former colonial power in Niger, as well as one from Togo and another from Madagascar. They were all working at the French Areva uranium mine in Arlit, north of Agadez. The captives are believed to be held in neighboring Mali.

Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the coordinator for counterterrorism at the U.S. State Department, says the U.S. is concerned by the activity.

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