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The ‘gentle’ face of al-Qaeda

Images of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and their local offshoots and rivals in northern Mali.

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Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has been active in northern Mali for a decade.
By May Ying Welsh and Ibrahim Saehon
Published On 30 Dec 2012

To learn more about these images, read Al Jazeera’s exclusive article from inside northern Mali.


Ansar al Din is a Malian armed group that hosts al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) much as the Taliban did in Afghanistan.
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A young mujahid in Timbuktu.
Al-Qaeda has had some success in winning over people in northern Mali.
But many are still afraid of them.
The Mujahideen distribute charity in hospitals and slums.
French AQIM member and former MSF aid worker Abdul Jalil attends Friday prayers in Timbuktu.
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A rare image of Ansar al Din head Iyad Aghali who has refused numerous interview requests from Al Jazeera
Al-Qaeda have millions of Euros in hostage ransoms to spread in one of the poorest regions on earth.
Yet most Tuaregs still prefer national liberation movements like the MNLA who are penniless
“We want our sisters to feel the wind in their hair,” says Tuareg herder Bukhadou.
Burned Mali Army tank, Tinzouatene. Defeated, Mali began relying more on ethnic paramilitaries to fight Tuareg rebellion.
Colonel Habi Ag Al Salat was an Army commander who witnessed Mali’s northern strategy from the inside.
Countless Malian soldiers have died in the Sahara trying to crush the never-ending Tuareg insurgency.
The isolation of Northern Mali and poverty of its people makes it ideal for drugs, weapons and people smuggling.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb calls for preserving the territorial integrity of Mali.
Northern Mali(***)s vast deserts of rock and sand are believed to contain oil, gas, and uranium.
The author at Ansar al Din(***)s guesthouse in Timbuktu. The graffiti says "Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb".