AQIM leader Yehia Aboul Hammam has called for 'Islamist unity' against French troops Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) - the North African branch of al-Qaeda - is negotiating the formation of a broad Islamist alliance between the radical Islamist groups of North Africa to establish an "Islamist emirate" in the Sahel region, AQIM leader Yehia Aboul Hammam has revealed.
Speaking to al-Jazeera TV, Hammam said that his group's negotiations have included the Ansar Dine group led by Iyad Ag Ghaly, which is supported by Algeria.
"Al-Qaeda aims to bring together the Islamist groups working in the Sahel region to establish an Islamist emirate," said Hammam. This emirate will include the Azawad people [of northern Mali] representative Ansar Dine group," he added.
Hammam revealed that negotiations are at an advanced stage, and all the Islamist groups "will form a united front to resist the French troops in northern Mali."
A French military operation has been ongoing for the last two weeks with the aim of uprooting armed Islamist groups which took over northern Mali for several months.
Speaking to Arabstoday, the Algerian security expert Mohammed Shafiq Mesbah said that al-Qaeda is trying to exploit the ongoing French campaign in order to restore its authority over the Islamist groups in the Sahel region, including the groups that were involved in disputes with al-Qaeda before.
However, Mesbah predicted that al-Qaeda's attempts will eventually fail, "especially their attempt to push the people of Azawad to fight alongside them against the French troops."
Mesbah said that Ansar Dine cannot expect al-Qaeda's call for an Islamist alliance, "as such a step would make them lose their only ally in the region, the Algerian regime."
Mesbah said that Ansar Dine cannot expect al-Qaeda's call for an Islamist alliance, "as such a step would make them lose their only ally in the region, the Algerian regime."
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister, David Cameron will will meet Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and his first minister Abdelmalek Sellal on a two-day visit to Algeria starting on Wednesday.
The trip was scheduled after the militant attack on In Amenas gas plant earlier this month. Three British hostages were killed in Tiguentourine, with three others reported missing.
During his visit, Cameron will hold talks with senior Algerian officials to discuss the attack and its implications for the region. He will also meet delegates from British Petroleum (BP), working at the In Amenas plant, in south-east Algeria.
Well informed sources told Arabstoday that the British Prime Minister's meeting with President Bouteflika will focus on the hostage rescue mission and the future of British-Algerian energy partnerships. Algerian security forces have accused BP of negligence for hiring a private security company, and signing a transportation contract with the company owned by the brother of Abdul-Hamid Abu Zayd, al-Qaeda leader in the Sahara region. Sources added that despite their warnings, the British company did not take any action.