Malian authorities have announced arresting a man suspected of taking part in the assassination of 4 French tourists in Mauritania last week. Media sources in Nouakchott, Mauritania, reported that the defendant has been arrested in the region of Douentza, in the centre of Mali, adding that he was holding an automatic gun and a grenade. In this context, an army officer in Mali said the defendant was holding arms and a satellite mobile and banding his his wounded hand, adding that all this signs are identical to a wanted man.The same official said the arrested holds a Malian ID carrying the name of Mohamed Ouled Ahmed and an Algerian passport carrying the name of Belkacem Zayoudi. He further said “the arrested mentioned that he is a ‘Moudjahid’…we are investigating with him and we are to contact Mauritanian authorities to know whether he has links with the assassination of 4 tourists last week in their.”
On another side, MauritaniaÂ’s Interior Affairs Ministry said it is committed to secure the track of Lisboan- Dakar Rally on its territories from 11 to 19 January 2008. After a meeting he hold with the Rally organization direction, Interior Minister said his country will devote about 2000 soldiers as well as many civilian policemen who will be in charge of securing the rally convoys while passing by Mauritania..