Al-Qaeda invited to share the six diplomats and tourists to 20 militants.

The group "Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb" demanded the release from prison 20 militants in exchange for the release of six hostages, among which is the UN Special Representative Robert Fouler. This reports Reuters referring to the Algerian newspaper El Khabar.
According to the Algerian journalist, facilitator of the negotiations for the release of the hostages met with one of the leaders of al-Qaida in North Africa to make sure that all the abductees are alive.
Canadian Robert Fouler along with his assistant was captured by militants in the Niger in mid-December 2008. In January 2009, in Mali, terrorists kidnapped four European tourists - Germans, British, and two Swiss. The government of Mali entered into negotiations with militants through the mediation of the elders of local tribes.