Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has reportedly appealed for new recruits from North African Arab countries in its fight against what it said was France’s Crusader campaign in Mali.

This was disclosed by a U.S.-based intelligence monitoring website which has been following the activities of the group closely.

The intelligence website claims that the appeal was posted on websites used by AQIM on Saturday, urging Islamist militants being pursued by their governments to join its fighters battling French-led forces in Mali or any part of Africa.

“The front of the Islamic Maghreb today is in direst need of the support of the sons of Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, and Mauritania, to thwart the attack of Crusader France and defeat its agents in the region, and empower the Islamic project,” AQIM said, according to a translation of the statement emailed by the intelligence website.

France’s offensive alongside African Union troops have brought some level of sanity to northern Mali from Islamist occupation and killed scores of fighters.

Other rebels have retreated into mountain caves and desert hiding places stocked with arms and supplies which the joint forces are still pursuing them.

However, AQIM also said that if Islamist youths in North Africa could have a greater impact in their own countries, they should stay on to fight secularism and push for the imposition of sharia-based rule.

France launched a ground and air operation in Mali in January to break Islamist rebels’ hold on the region, saying the militants posed a risk to global peace and security.

But France wants to withdraw from the operation and has asked the UN to take over the rest of the mission and make it a UN peace mission.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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