Islamist group Ansar Dine threatens UN and France

After nearly a two year hiatus, the leader of Mali’s home-grown movement Ansar Dine has reiterated threats against France and the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country.

Iyad Ag Ghaly delivered an 11 minute clip provided to AFP over the weekend in Arabic and the Tuareg language Tamasheq.

This was the Tuareg rebel leader’s first appearance since August 5, 2014.

The insurgent group’s objective is to impose Islamic law across Mali.

In 2012, the group briefly seized the desert north alongside al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

French troops, which ousted Islamist militants from northern towns in 2013, are still fighting them in north Mali. The UN sent peacekeepers to support the country’s political processes and carry out a number of security-related tasks.
AFP