Abderrahmane Talha, also known as Abou Talha al-Mauritani or Talha al-Libi, is a Mauritanian jihadist who is the wali of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin's territory in Tombouctou Region.
Talha al-Libi | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Abderrahmane Talha |
| Born | 1980s |
| Allegiance |  GSPC (2006-2007) AQIM (2007-present) JNIM (2017-present) |
| Service | Katiba Tarik ibn Zayed (2006-2012) Katiba al-Furqan (2013-2020) |
| Rank | Emir of Katiba al-Furqan (2013-2020) Emir of Timbuktu (2020-present) |
| Battles / wars | Insurgency in the Sahel Tuareg rebellion (2007-2009) |
Biography
editTalha was born in the 1980s to a Mauritanian father and Malian mother originally from Timbuktu.[1][2] His family fled to Libya during the Tuareg rebellion of the 1990s, where Talha grew up.[3] In 2006, Talha joined the Algerian terrorist group Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which became Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb shortly afterward.[4] He was one of the first Mauritanians in the group.[4] He fought under the orders of Abou Zeid, the leader of AQIM, within the Katiba Tarik Ibn Zayed.[2] He participated in the Tourine ambush in 2008 against Mauritanian forces.[1] When interviewed by Al Jazeera in 2012, he claimed to have traveled to Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Algeria.[3]
During the fall of Timbuktu, Talha was active as the head of the Islamic Police of Timbuktu between April 2012 and January 2013 when the city was under jihadist control.[4][5] Following the death of Abdallah al-Chinguetti in February 2013, Talha succeeded him as emir of Katiba al-Furqan.[6] As emir of Katiba al-Furqan, Talha sought closer ties between Malian Arabs and Tuareg clans, in particular the Awlad Ich and Awlad Idriss tribes in the Tombouctou Region.[7]
In a 2015 video, Talha asked Awlad Ich members to join AQIM in the region, and called for rebellion against French forces.[7][8] Talha also appeared in a January 2016 video where he called for a return to Sharia law in northern Mali.[7] He succeeded Abu Yahya al-Jazairi as head of JNIM in Tombouctou Region when Jazairi was killed in a clash with Malian forces in 2020.[7][9] He is considered to be one of the most senior figures within Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.[10]
Further reading
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Aqmi: Des nouveaux chefs assez ordinaires pour Taregh et Al Fourghane (Analyse)". www.your-domain.com. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ a b Daniel, Serge (2014). Les mafias du Mali ; Trafics et terrorisme au Sahel. p. 228.
- ^ a b Orphans of the Sahara | Rebellion (Episode 2), retrieved 2024-02-21
- ^ a b c "Visuel interactif : le nouvel organigramme d'Aqmi - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Veteran jihadist seeks return of Sharia law in North Mali". Reuters. January 8, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "Aqmi nomme un successeur à Abou Zeïd". L'Express (in French). 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ a b c d "Abd al-Rahman Talha al-Libi". Counter Extremism Project. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Timbuktu: A Laboratory for Jihadists Experimenting with Politics". War on the Rocks. 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ Kachmar, Oleh (2020-06-02). "ISIS in Africa: The End of the "Sahel Exception"". New Lines Institute. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Les lieutenants du chef jihadiste malien Iyad Ag Ghali, " l'ennemi public numéro un " - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-21.