The Tuareg in Mali and Niger distrust Algeria whom they blame for terrorism in the Sahel. Algeria’s security services have combated terrorism in the black 1990s decade but has also created terrorist groups and manipulated terrorist attacks. Furthermore, some terrorist groups have been used by Algeria’s intelligence agency as a tool to maintain an upper hand on Sahel states. Algeria’s laxism with Ag Ghali facilitated the merger of four terrorist groups operating in the Sahel into one group pledging allegiance to Al Qaeda and its Jordanian leader Azarkawi. The four terrorist groups were brought together under the command of Ag Ghali.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 14, 2023 12:21 UTC