20111231
AFP
A top businessman and a prominent critic of Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz denounced on Friday an arrest warrant issued against him for supporting terror groups.

Mauritanian national Moustapha Ould Limam Chafi told AFP he was preparing to sue President Abdel Aziz for defamation, while the country's opposition also condemned the warrant against him as outrageous.

"Faced with this very, very serious accusation I am going to sue Aziz," said 53-year-old Chafi, speaking by telephone from an undisclosed location.

"I have already contacted a number of lawyers in Mauritania and abroad .... I consider this accusation to be unacceptable defamation."

He accused the president of attempting to manipulate the international community as he "manipulated the Mauritanian courts" and said there was no evidence against him.

A court in Nouakchott on Wednesday issued an international arrest warrant against Chafi, accusing him of financing terrorism and sharing intelligence with groups linked to Al-Qaeda.

The prosperous businessman, who has top-level connections in several west African capitals, was one of four people accused over the alleged terror links.

A coalition of 10 leading Mauritanian opposition parties said in a statement that they "firmly condemn this outrageous measure which is a despicable exploitation of justice to discredit and silence opponents".

Chafi himself said he had been targeted because of his fierce opposition to the president, he said.

"My problem with Aziz is a problem of national political policy... And Aziz cannot stand a stance against his policies, which I have strongly criticised," he said.

His policies to tackle armed extremism in the region have failed, he argued, adding that the president had now effectively exiled him from his homeland.

Chafi lived in Burkina Faso where he was involved in negotiations with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) for the release of Western hostages in the Sahel and Sahara.

He is a former advisor to Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore.

Security officials close to the political leadership in Ouagadougou say he left Burkina Faso in 2011, while other sources said he moved to Ivory Coast.

He is a fierce critic of Abdel Aziz and has called for his overthrow, accusing him of "failing in his bid to root out terrorism".

Chafi is also said to be extremely close to Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou, and has spent a lot of time with Ivory Coast Prime Minister Guillaume Soro. His influence also stretches to Darfur and Rwanda.

AQIM has been involved in attacks, kidnappings of Westerners and various types of trafficking including drugs.

Overall, 12 Europeans are currently being held hostage in the Sahel region which lies south of the Sahara desert.

Countries such as France and Spain, whose citizens are often targeted "ardently wish to have Chafi involved in negotiations to free their citizens", said a Malian mediator.