Mali Offers $3.5 Million for Information on Al-Qaeda Leader in the Sahel

SadaNews - The military government in Mali offered a reward of $3.5 million yesterday evening, Thursday, for information leading to the capture or killing of the leader of the Al-Qaeda branch in the African Sahel region.

Iyad Ag Ghali, leader of the "Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims," is the most wanted person in the region, as he leads the largest force fighting against the military councils controlling many Sahelian countries.

It is worth noting that Ghali, a former Malian diplomat and one of the leaders of the Tuareg rebels, is also listed on U.S. terrorism lists and is wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. Since its establishment in 2017, his group has been held responsible for a number of deadly attacks on military authorities.

In a statement broadcast by the official Malian television, the Ministry of Security of the army offered a reward of two billion West African francs ($3.5 million) for information that helps in "arresting Ghali or neutralizing him," and $2.5 million for information leading to the arrest of one of his deputies, Amadou Koufa. The ministry also offered a financial reward for information about two leaders of the Tuareg rebels.

The statement read, "The authorities are striving to capture these individuals due to their alleged involvement in planning, organizing, and executing terrorist acts that threaten the safety of individuals and their property within the national territory."

Mali has been experiencing continuous turmoil for nearly a decade and a half, led by the "Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims" and fighters linked to ISIS, in addition to criminal gangs. The army has been ruling the country since the coup in 2020.