AQIM has appointed a Mauritanian, Mohamed Lemine Ould Hacen, to head its Al Vourghan brigade; Yahya Abou El Hammam, an Algerian, has been promoted to Sahara emir. The Timbuktu-based brigade often clashes with the Mauritanian Army near the Malian border. Ould Hacen will also serve as AQIM spokesman for its southern region, which includes northern Mali and the desert areas bordering Mali, Mauritania, and Algeria.
