Abdelhamid Abou Zeid
| Abdelhamid Abou Zeid | |
|---|---|
Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, one of the leaders of AQIM.
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| Born | 1965 Algeria |
| Died | 25 February 2013 (aged 47–48) |
| Other names | Emir of the South; Mosab Abdelouadoud |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 Al-Qaeda
|
| Service/branch |
 AQIM(?-2013) |
| Years of service | ?-2013 |
| Rank | Governor(Emir) of Timbuktu |
| Battles/wars | |
Abdelhamid Abou Zeid (born Mohamed Ghadir; 1965 – 25 February 2013) was an Algerian national and Islamist jihadi militant and smuggler who, in about 2010, became one of the top three military commanders of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), a Mali-based militant organization. He competed as the chief rival of Mokhtar Belmokhtar, an Algerian national who had become the major commander in AQIM and later head of his own group. Both gained wealth and power by kidnapping and ransoming European nationals. After taking control of Timbuktu in 2012, Abou Zeid established sharia law and destroyed Sufi shrines.
Abou Zeid was killed by French and Chadian troops on 25 February 2013 in fighting in Northern Mali. On 23 March, Zeid's death was "definitively confirmed" by the French president's office.
Abou Zeid was born in Algeria in 1965.
Abou Zeid was one of the senior members of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, (AQIM), an Islamist militant organization. He had been promoted by the emir of AQIM, Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud (a.k.a. Abdelmalek Droukdel); some commentators speculated that Wadoud wanted to have an alternative to Mokhtar Belmokhtar, an increasingly powerful commander in AQIM also operating in Mali.
Abou Zeid is believed to have ordered the executions of hostages, including Edwin Dyer in 2009 and Michel Germaneau in 2010. He is believed to have been behind the kidnapping of more than 20 Westerners between 2008 and 2013. The victims were held to gain ransoms to fund the activities of AQIM.
When Abou Zeid controlled Timbuktu, he ordered amputations as punishment, and his forces destroyed historic Sufi shrines.
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