Open letter from Rachid Raha to President Barack Obama on his upcoming decision regarding the Azawad war northern Mali (Version Anglais)
His Excellency Barack Obama,
President of the United States
Open letter from Rachid Raha, Deputy Chairman for International Affairs of the Amazigh World Assembly (AMA), to President Barack Obama on his upcoming decision regarding the Azawad war northern Mali
SUBJECT: Congratulations on your re-election and asking for avoiding Another Long War in Azawad in the north of Mali
Dear Mr. President,
On behalf of our organization Amazigh World Assembly (AWA), a Non-Governmental Organization that defends the rights of indigenous Amazigh people, we would like to express and extend our heartfelt congratulations on your re-election and wish you every success in this new mandate.
Mr. President,
You have stated on several occasions that the issue of the fight against terrorism is one of the priorities of your political agenda. Also, we would like to draw your attention on the imminent war and military intervention in Azawad region in northern Mali. Today we are deeply worried about the current course of the war and the lack of credible scenarios for the future of this region. The intervention may become a disguised genocide, especially against our Tuareg populations, also called the Blue People for the vibrant indigo of their tagelmust, are part of the indigenous Berber (Amazigh) population of North Africa If this war desired and orchestrated by the French President, François Hollande, who is more concerned with the economic interests of his country than the rights of the Tuareg people, through the establishment of neo-colonial African States army. This is done without the cooperation and direct involvement of Revolutionary National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) to dislodge the Islamist terrorists. However, this war would be disastrous and certainly with irreversible consequences for the Sahel, North Africa (Tamazgha), and Western countries. We appeal to you to use the unparalleled resources and influence which the United States would bring to bear peace in Azawad in the northern Mali.
The real salafi terrorist leaders (AQIM MUJAO and Ansar Eddine) who occupy the major cities in the north Mali (Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal) and who compete directly against the revolutionary MNLA are not located in Azawad. Those who actually destabilize the entire Sahel are obviously located in Algeria and not in the mountains of Tighargharin!
Also, if you are determined to effectively combat terrorism in North Africa and the Sahel, you should first conduct an investigation within the secret services of the Algerian army, namely the former MS (Military Security) which become Department of Intelligence and Security (DRS). The real leader of AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) is not Abdelmalek Droukdel, but the Algerian military Generals who control the DRS. You could verify this information by referring many e excellent studies such asthose conducted by François Gèze and Salima Mellah (www.algeria-watch.org/fr/aw/gspc_etrange_histoire_intro.htm) who argue as following: "outside the oil sector, the only institution that really works.. crisscrossing the society, controlling a large part of foreign trade, naming a number of senior officials including ambassadors, infiltrating the media, police, state enterprises, political parties and armed Islamist groups suspected to be behind several terrorist attacks, handles and misinforms the public opinion as, moreover, Presidents’ edition of erroneous or false reports deliberately alarmist" is the DRS. Other relevant studies such as those of British researcher Jeremy Keenan (http://www.rue89.com/2010/08/09/germaneau-la-main-de-lalgerie-dans-le-fiasco-militaire-francais-161541 et http://www.tamazgha.fr/Le-role-du-DRS-dans-ce-qui-se.html), the anthropologist Helen Claudot-CNRS Hawad, and Djameleddine Benchenouf from French University of Lyon converge. All studies conduct to the same conclusions: AQIM is only the emanation of the Salafi Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which in turn would be the continuation of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), both are created by the Algerian military intelligence services.
Most of the bloodthirsty movement chefs mentioned above are guilty of murdering thousands of innocent citizens, and among them many intellectuals. Many of the terrorists namely Djamel Zitouni, Hassan Hattab, Antar or Zouabri Nabil Makhloufi (head of AQIM in the Sahara died on 9 September) are strangely former Algerian military officers!
What is more obviously curious about terrorism in Algeria is the two mainly amazigh speaking regions of Algeria, namely Kabylie and the Touareg country where terrorists are operating.
Salafi terrorists (AQIM, MUJAO, and Ansar Eddine) who apply "sharia" to terrorize civilians people and targeting mainly Tuareg women whom are beaten and humiliated publicly, are puppets in the hands of Algerian military officers who are trying to destabilize this region of Sahara and the Sahel. This region was however, once one of the safest regions in the world and the most hostile to any form of Islamic extremism.
Mr. President,
Overcoming Salafi terrorist groups in the Sahel could only be achieved if the MNLA revolutionary combatants are involved in any military operation. This means, obviously, recognition of the right Azawad people and the autonomy of their region within a Federal State of Mali (See for this matter:
http://charqi.blog4ever.com/blog/lire-article-379408-9516728-l_azawad_entre_droits_des_peuples_a_disposer_d_eux.html) .
Moreover, we ask for an urgent international investigation that should force the Algerian government to allow access to the archives of the Algerian DRS in order to delineate responsibilities and bring the perpetrators to justice. It’s inacceptable that, up to date, no official Algerian involved in the murder of 126 civilians Amazigh from Kabylie during the "black spring" of 2001 was prosecuted. Even the murderer Hassan Hatab is still running peacefully in the street, while the cynicism of the Algerian government is clearly overexpressed through it new Algerian Minister of Interior, Ould Kablia, who insulted recently and overtly Kabyle amazigh people by accusing them of dealing and contributing to the proliferation of Islamist terrorism AQIM!
We therefore respectfully urge you to act in the spirit of the hopes for peace that your election instilled in the hearts of people around the globe and standing up for human justice and the rule of law.
Thank you for your diligence and your attention ti this letter.
Respectfully,
Signed: Rachid Raha, Deputy Chairman for International Affairs of the AMA