Lemine Ould Mohamed Salem is a Mauritanian journalist, director, and author who embedded himself with jihadists from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in 2012.
Lemine Ould Mohamed Salem | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968 (age 55–56) |
| Notable work | Salafistes Le Bin Laden du Sahara: Sur les traces du Mokhtar Belmokhar L'histoire secrète du djihad ; d'al-Qaida à l'Etat islamique |
Biography
editSalem was born in 1968 in Moudjeria, Mauritania. He has degrees in public law, political science, and international relations.[1] He first worked as a journalist for Al Bayane, and then as a correspondent in Paris for the French service of the BBC and as a contributor to Libération, L'Humanité, and Radio Suisse Romande. In 2007, Salem released a report revealing the presence of a CIA black site in Oualata, Mauritania.[2]
At the outbreak of the Mali War in 2012, Salem obtained authorization from jihadist leadership to travel to Gao and Timbuktu, which were under control of Ansar Dine, AQIM, and MOJWA at the time. The images and videos he recorded during his time in the cities were used for the documentary Salafistes which he co-directed with Francois Margolin and released in 2016.[3] Abderrahmane Sissako, a Mauritanian filmmaker initially associated with the project, withdrew from it in December 2012 and used Salem's images as inspiration for the fictional movie Timbuktu which was released in 2014.[4]
In 2015, he worked as a correspondent for the Tribune de Genève, Le Soir, Le Temps, and Sud Ouest.[5][6]
Publications
editIn 2014, Salem released the book Le Bin Laden du Sahara: Sur les traces du jihadiste Mokhtar Belmokhtar (The Bin Laden of the Sahara: In the Footsteps of Mokhtar Belmokhtar) about his time embedded in AQIM.[7]
In 2018, Salem published L'histoire Secrete du Djihad: D'al-Qaida a l'Etat Islamique (The Secret History of Jihad: From al-Qaeda to the Islamic State) about Mahfouz Ould al-Walid, a close companion of al-Qaeda emir Osama bin Laden.[8]
Filmography
edit- Salafistes – 2016
Bibliography
edit- Le Bin Laden du Sahara: Sur les traces du jihadiste Mokhtar Belmokhtar - 2014
- L'histoire Secrete du Djihad: D'al-Qaida a l'Etat Islamique - 2018
References
edit- ^ ""Sans plan Marshall, la France continuera d'envoyer ses hommes et ses armes dans le désert"". La Voix du Nord (in French). 2016-01-24. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ Salem, Lemine Ould M. "La Mauritanie accueillante avec la CIA". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ "L'interdiction de "Salafistes" aux moins de 18 ans confirmée par Fleur Pellerin". www.telerama.fr (in French). 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ "" Salafistes », le documentaire qui a inspiré « Timbuktu "". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2015-12-10. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ Salem, Lemine Ould M. (October 12, 2005). "Les ex-enfants soldats libériens face aux urnes". Le Temps. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ "Lémine OULD M. Salem". Policy Center. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ Salem, Lemine Ould M. (2014-10-25). Le Ben Laden du Sahara. Sur les traces du jihadiste Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Sur les traces du jihadiste Mokhtar Belmokhtar (in French). Martinière Beaux-livres(De La). ISBN 978-2-7324-6674-3.
- ^ "Lemine ould m salem - L'histoire secrète du djihad ; d'al-Qaida à l'Etat islamique". Librairie Ombres Blanches. Retrieved 2024-04-23.