AQIM has appointed a Mauritanian, Mohamed Lemine Ould Hacen, to head its Al Vourghan brigade; Yahya Abou El Hammam, an Algerian, has been promoted to Sahara emir. The Timbuktu-based brigade often clashes with the Mauritanian Army near the Malian border. Ould Hacen will also serve as AQIM spokesman for its southern region, which includes northern … Continue reading Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb