Officials in both countries had said that Amadou Koufa, a radical preacher accused of stoking sectarian conflict and several violent attacks, died in November 2018 in a raid led by French soldiers in central Mali. In the video, a copy of which has been obtained by AFP, Koufa denies reports of his death. He is seen sitting behind a table responding to questions in Arabic and without any obvious signs of injury. “We are verifying the authenticity of the video,” added French army spokesman Patrik Steiger in Paris. The former colonial ruler has deployed the 4,500-member Barkhane force in the region in a bid to repel attacks and stem the insurgency.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 01, 2019 21:33 UTC