Mali junta offers $3.5M reward for Sahel al-Qaeda leader
Key takeaways
- Mali's military government is offering $3.5 million for information leading to the arrest or killing of Iyad Ag Ghaly.
- Ghaly, the chief of Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), is wanted by several countries in Africa's Sahel region, several of which are ruled by military juntas.
- In April, JNIM joined forces with Tuareg rebels to launch the largest attacks against the Malian government in more than a decade.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Mali's military government is offering $3.5 million for information leading to the arrest or killing of Iyad Ag Ghaly. The junta is also offering smaller rewards for other suspects, including Tuareg separatists.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Es POIyad Ag Ghaly (right), pictured here in 2012 next to Burkina Faso's then Foreign Minister Djibril Bassol [FILE]Image: REUTERSAdvertisement Mali's ruling military junta has offered a reward of $3.5 million (about €3 million) for information that leads to the arrest or killing of Iyad Ag Ghaly, who heads the Sahel branch of the terror group al-Qaeda that launched a major offensive in April.
Ghaly, the chief of Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), is wanted by several countries in Africa's Sahel region, several of which are ruled by military juntas.