Sahara Media conducted an interview with Sanda bin Bouamama Al-Timbukti, a commander in Ansar Al-Din movement which controls the city of Timbuktu, north Mali, and discussed with him several issues related to the ongoing conflict in the Azawad region like the stance of the movement from democracy and secularism, its relation with the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) and Jamaat Al-Tawhid wa Al-Jihad in West Africa, and the Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the calls for military intervention in north Mali, and possibility of negotiating with the Malian government, and their demand for implementation of the Islamic Sharia.

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Sahara Media: Do administer Timbuktu independently from the rest of the movementsand Wilayahs?

Sanda bin Bouamama Al-Timbukti: الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم

In the beginning I thank the administrators of Sahara Media website for providing this good opportunity, and I ask Allah to bless this interview.

As for your question, who follows the events here in this region observes that it came successively and very quickly, and the necessary needs of the community were pressing everybody, from maintaining security, and the necessities of the people from food, water, electricity, which means that centralized management in a situation like this is impractical, especially in this wide divergent Saharan land, that's is why we concentrated here on maintaining security, protecting the public facilities and institutions, at least what we could keep our hands on, as well as distributing some foodstuffs, and we have crossed quite a long way, and we are seeking now to form popular committees that manage the affairs of the city and open as much as possible from the education institutions, and regarding that we receive a big positive response from the inhabitants of the city, especially the elders from Imams, Ulema, and officials of the neighborhoods, Alhamdulillah.

S.M: To what extent do you coordinate with MNLA and Jamaat Al-Tawhid wa Al-Jihad?

S.B.T: We in the Jamaat Ansar Al-Din movement seek to establish the religion, spread its justice and blessings in our societies and among our people so that the saying of Allah Almighty is achieved in us: (And if the people of the townships had believed and kept from evil, surely We should have opened for them blessings from the sky and from the earth) 96 Surah Al-Araf, and for this goal we reject all the imported ideas and solutions that contradict with our religion and Aqeeda like democracy and secularism, and the MNLA, as have been published in its literature believes in democracy and resorts to the international legitimacy, and it has declared more than once that it is ready to enter in the so called war on terrorism, all that means that we in fact are very different in the goals and purposes, but despite of that our presence in one place, and with the same people and our confrontation to the same enemy… all that imposes on us necessarily some kind of contact and inevitable relation, so that we may overcome the obstacles and manage to solve what occurs between us from problems peacefully.

As for Jamaat Al-Tawhid wa Al-Jihad it doesn't have a presence in the Wilayah of Timbuktu, and we ask Allah for us all guidance and success and to prevent us from the visible and hidden seditions.

S.M: What is your response to the accusations regarding your dealing with Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb?

S.B.T: This kind of accusations today became known and repeated, every people which rebels against oppression and tyranny is faced with this allegation and especially if they had an Islamic reference as in our case.

Regarding the situation in in this region everyone who lives here has to have a relation and some kind of dealing with Al-Qaeda organization, since this organization has many of the men and sons of this region, and this is a fait accompli that you cannot overlook it, and Allah is the one who guides to every good.

S.M: Are you ready to negotiate with the coming government in Mali?

S.B.T: What we demand and work for is to live under the shadow and rule of the Islamic Sharia, and we reject every constitution or system except the Sharia of Islam, so the negotiations are one of the means to achieve the great purpose and there is no objection in that, but negotiations just for negotiations is only a waste of time, and we aren't prepared for that.

S.M: What is your stance from the calls for a military intervention in northern Mali?

S.B.T: It is not a secret to any sane that our people in this region need who extends them a helping hand and helps them in these critical conditions, and help them to avoid the scourges of war and fighting… As for those arrogant who are trying to prevent us to live as we want, and even as Allah Almighty wanted, we Insha'Allah will resist them with all what we have from power seeking aid from Allah and keeping our trust in Him. Either we live on our land with pride and honor, or be killed as martyrs for the sake of Allah, (And Allah's is the unseen in the heavens and the earth, and to Him is returned the whole of the affair; therefore serve Him and rely on Him, and your Lord is not heedless of what you do) 123 Surah Hud.