NIAMEY, Niger – Oshayasibhamu abangaziwa badubule babulala izivakashi ezintathu ezisuka eSaudi Arabia esigamekweni sokuhlasela ngoMsombuluko ogwadule olukude nentshonalanga yeNiger, kusho izikhulu.
Ezinye izakhamizi ezintathu zaseSaudi nazo zilimele kulesi sigameko, kusho okhulumela uhulumeni waseNiger uMamane Kassoum Moktar etshela i-Associated Press.
IPhini likaNgqongqoshe Wezangaphandle eSaudi, uKhaled bin Saud, utshele i-Al-Arabiya TV ephethwe yi-Al-Arabiya TV ukuthi izivakashi bezisuka eNiger zilibangise ezweni elingumakhelwane iMali ngesikhathi zihlaselwa entathakusa ngemuva kokumisa imoto yazo yenze imikhuleko yasekuseni.
Akukacaci ukuthi yini esuse lolu dlame, kodwa amavukela-mbuso, izigelekeqe kanye namalungu egatsha le-al-Qaida elizinze eNyakatho Afrika e-Algeria kukholakala ukuthi bamatasa ogwadule eduze komngcele weMali.
Ebuzwa ukuthi ngabe bayasola yini ukuthi i-al-Qaida yiyona eyabangela ukuhlasela, uSaud uthe leli qembu limatasa endaweni “kodwa asinabo ubufakazi” ukuthi liyathinteka.
"Kubukeka ngathi kuze kube manje bekuyigebengu," kusho uSaud, wengeza ngokuthi iziphathimandla zaseNiger bezixhumana nozakwabo baseSaudi.
UMoktar uphinde wenqabile ukuqagela ukuthi ngabe i-al-Qaida yiyona yini eyabangela lokhu kuhlasela. Uthe abahlaseli bebehamba ngemoto edonsa ngamasondo amane ngesikhathi bebaleka, kwathunyelwa amaphoyisa namasosha ukuthi azobalandela.
UMoktar uthe abaqondisi ababili baseMali abebephelezela abakwaSaudi batholwe ngamaphoyisa beboshwe izandla ngoMsombuluko esigodini sase-Ayerou, eduze kwalapho kwenzeke khona ukuhlasela.
Ngo-Ephreli, abathumbi eNiger badedela abathunjwa abane bakwamanye amazwe ababegcinwe izinyanga, okuhlanganisa nowayeyinxusa elikhethekile leNhlangano Yezizwe Ezihlangene eNiger, inxusa laseCanada uRobert Fowler.
Umongameli waseNiger usole ukuthunjwa kukaFowler eqenjini lamavukelambuso esizwe esincane samaTuareg asebeneminyaka edala ukuvukela umbuso. Kodwa igatsha le-Al-Qaida eliseNyakatho ne-Afrika lathi yilona cala lokuthumba.
I-Al-Qaida e-Islamic North Africa iyiqembu elizinze e-Algeria elajoyina inethiwekhi yamaphekula ka-Osama bin Laden ngo-2006 futhi liqhumisa inqwaba yamabhomu noma libaqamekele njalo ngenyanga. Leli qembu lisebenzela kakhulu e-Algeria kodwa kusolakala ukuthi liwela imingcele yaleli lizwe ewugwadule ukuze libhebhethekise udlame ezindaweni ezisenyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Afrika.
NgoMsombuluko, i-al-Qaida ithe inecala lokuthumba amaNtaliyane amabili ekuqaleni kwale nyanga eMauritania, esemngceleni weMali futhi etholakala emaphethelweni asenyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Afrika. Ungqongqoshe wezangaphandle eRome uthe kungenzeka ukuthi abathumbi basezandleni zeqembu lama-Islamist.
