Mauritania off French tour lists after terror attacks
PARIS (AFP) — Leading French travel operators said Saturday they had suspended tourism packages in the Mauritanian desert following alleged terrorist attacks that killed local troops and four French adventure tourists.
The decision by operators Voyageurs du Monde, Allibert and Club Adventure follows Friday's warning by the French foreign ministry against travel to the desolate northwest African country -- although Dakar Rally organisers are keeping Mauritania on their race itinerary.
On Thursday, three Mauritanian soldiers were killed during an armed ambush in the northeast of the country.
Three days earlier, four French tourists were shot dead and a fifth injured by three Mauritanians, said by government officials to have Al-Qaeda links.
"After the new attack against the soldiers in a region nearer to our trekking zones (than the attack against the French tourists), I have decided to cancel all our flights to Mauritania," said Voyageurs du Monde head Jean-Francois Rial.
The head of Club Adventure also said the group was cancelling its flight this weekend "in the interest of the security of our clients."
Three French investigators arrived in Nouakchott Friday to participate in the inquiry into the tourists' death, a security source in the Mauritanian capital said.
The bodies of the four were flown back to Paris the same day, while the fifth tourist who was injured returned to Lyon Wednesday.
Mauritanian authorities have said two of the aggressors have ties with Al-Qaeda's Branch in the Islamic Maghreb, an Algeria-based group previously known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC).
The group claimed responsibility for devastating twin car bomb attacks in Algiers earlier this month that left dozens dead.
Three of the alleged assailants are still on the run and being tracked in Mali and Senegal. One suspect was arrested in central Mali Friday, armed with an automatic gun and a grenade.
On its website, the French foreign ministry is advising holiday tourists to pick destinations other than Mauritania, citing threats by Al-Qaeda against "French interests in North Africa."
But Friday, organisers of the 30th Dakar Rally gave the green light for the race to include Mauritania, which said it would mobilise 4,000 soldiers and plainclothes police for next month's event.
