North African Oil and Gas Sites On High Alert

The repercussions of the terrorist attack two weeks ago against Sonatrach and BP oil workers at Tiguentourine in Algeria continue to reverberate, and authorities in the region have adopted increased security measures.

The attack and hostage crisis that killed 37 foreigners is only the first of Mokhtar Belmokhtar's plans. He leads an armed group called al-Moulathamine, or the Masked Brigade. The threat issued following the attack was the first of its kind since the 1990s. The Algerian security services are taking the threat seriously and have stepped up their vigilance, especially around oil and gas sites.

The threats, which were revealed by three terrorists captured in the assault, are significant because al-Qaeda has long aspired to attack oil and gas facilities in the Sahel region and in North Africa. The terrorists revealed that plans exist for attacks on oil and gas installations not only in Algeria but also in Libya, Tunisia and other countries in the region. The planners also seek to capture Western oil workers, and to retaliate against the war launched against the mujahideen who want to implement Islamic law in Mali. Algerian authorities immediately notified neighboring countries about the plot, which could cause unprecedented strife in North Africa and the Sahel. 

Libya and Tunisia have taken measures to guard against any attacks. In Tunisia, elite units have been deployed around key oil and gas fields in the Sahara. In Libya, the security services have stepped up efforts to counter any terrorist acts directed at oil fields and gas installations, which are critical to the Libyan economy. Oil and gas fields on the borders of Tunisia, Algeria and Niger have received special protection, as armed groups fleeing northern Mali — which is currently under French army and Malian security service control — could pass through there. Algeria has stepped up monitoring its borders by deploying elite army and police units.