Twelve years after the tragic kidnapping and assassination of RFI journalists Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon in Mali, a new step was taken in October to obtain the declassification of documents classified as defense secrets.

Lawyer Marie Dosé, representing the association "Friends of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon," revealed at a press conference that a declassification request had been filed specifically targeting Mohammed Ag Hellah . He is a suspected member of the jihadist group Ansar Dine, identified as the leader of the camp where the kidnappers took refuge after the double murder.

Ghislaine Dupont (57) and Claude Verlon (55) were kidnapped and shot dead on November 2, 2013, near Kidal, in northern Mali. They were reporting for RFI, a few months after the launch of the French Operation Serval, aimed at pushing back jihadist groups. Although Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility, the precise circumstances of the tragedy remain unclear. The official version states that a French military convoy discovered the journalists' bodies near their captors' pickup truck, which had broken down. Investigators are favoring the theory of a botched hostage-taking by a jihadist group.

A twelve-year investigation and new elements

The judicial investigation, which has lasted twelve years, has seen three investigating judges succeed one another, the last of whom took over the case in March.

According to Danièle Gonod, president of the association, the analysis of telephone data has made it possible to "highlight the importance of the criminal network" involved in the kidnapping. The use of this data, combined with new testimonies, has shed light on the role of two key individuals, including Cheikh Ag Haoussa .

Described as a "charismatic Tuareg fighter" by lawyer Dosé, this former member of Ansar Dine had become "the main point of contact for French forces and MINUSMA" (the UN mission) in Kidal. The lawyer specifies that he was interviewed by Ghislaine Dupont on October 30, 2013, and "was seen in his vehicle in Kidal with Baye Ag Bakabo," the alleged leader of the commando, "a few hours before the kidnapping." He was then reportedly asked by the French army to "identify the kidnappers' vehicle."

Cheikh Ag Haoussa died in October 2016 in a car explosion. The lawyer concluded by asking the investigating magistrate to seriously consider the role of this individual.