Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) again defies the French government.

Abu Zeid, whose men hold four French hostages captured  on 16 September 2010 in Niger, at an Areva complex, said that "about a year ago, (they) warned France of (their) willingness to negotiate" and that "since (they) expected (es) response." "France is responsible for the breakdown of negotiations (...) and AQIM remains open to dialogue," says he elsewhere in this four-minute video , Le Figaro reported.




In response, the French foreign ministry says French authorities “continue to demand our compatriots held in the Sahel be freed safe and sound,” and that everything is being done to achieve this.“No stone has been left unturned,” the ministry’s statement added, according to RFI.

AQIM is also holding two French geologists, Philippe Verdon and Serge Lazarevic, who were kidnapped in Mali in 2011.A seventh Frenchman, Gilberto Rodriguez Léal, was taken by Mujao, a militant group with links to AQIM, in November this year.

The latest kidnapping linked to AQIM was last week’s abduction of Francis Collmup, a 63 year old  taken in the north of  Nigeria by Ansaru, a group with links to AQIM and the Nigerian militants Boko Haram.

This is the first time Abu Zeid has appeared  on video and experts speculate that AQIM istrying toput pressure on France as well as  to collect are reported 100 million euro ransome.  Some of the hostages have now been held forovertwo years.