Khadim Ould Semane, the principle Mauritanian extremist, is demanding the "massive presence of media during all dialogue sessions" with ulemas (Muslim scholars) so that "truth can be revealed in broad daylight."
Ould Semane, one of the 60 or so extremists being accused of terrorism detained at the Nouakchott central prison, was speaking when the first dialogue session was opened between the jihadists and the Mauritanian authorities in the presence of Ould Ninni, the minister of Islamic orientation.
Before the audience of ulemas and in the presence of both private and public media, Ould Semane confronted the interpretations of the notion of jihad (holy war), saying he and his colleagues were ready to discuss this captivating subject so that truth can finally triumph.
On the same occasion, the Islamic orientation minister said the dialogue is aimed at bringing to an end the threat of terrorism which continues to weigh heavily on Mauritania's social cohesion.
He told the session that the state opts for security to guarantee its territorial integrity while seeking serious and frank dialogue with all concerned parties. This should be based on the teachings of the Sharia (Islamic law) which constitutes the first reference point for all Mauritanians in the fight against extremism, he noted.
The discussion between ulemas and the detained extremists was set between Monday and Wednesday under the direction of the president of the Center for Training of Ulemas, Sheikh Mohamed El Hacen Ould Dedew, who is highly respected among Muslims.
According to specialists of Islamic groups in Mauritania, this dialogue was spearheaded by the most revered ulemas of the country, who proposed it during the recent symposium on extremism, hoping to bring about remarkable progress in the search for solutions to the terrorist related violence in Mauritania.
The northwestern African country has experienced an increase in terrorist attacks since 2005. Several assassinations and kidnappings have been perpetrated by Al-Qaeda on the Mauritanian soil, bringing the number of victims to dozens, among them four French tourists, an American national and a number of Mauritanian armed soldiers.
Five European nationals, three Spanish humanitarian workers and two Italian tourists were kidnapped during between November and December in Mauritania, marking an escalation in the attacks.