Djamel Okacha
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Djamel Okacha, nom de guerre Yahia Abou al-Hamman, was an Algerian jihadist who fought in the
Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (), known by the French acronym GSPC ('), was an Algerian Islamist militant group in the Algerian Civil War founded in 1998 by Hassan Hattab, a former regional commander of the Armed Islamic Group (G ...
(GSPC) and later
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (, ), or AQIM, is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state. To that end, it was then engaged in an insurgency ...
(AQIM) and
Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin Jama'at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (, JNIM; , GSIM; ) is a Salafi Jihadist organisation in the Maghreb and West Africa formed by the merger of Ansar Dine, al-Mourabitoun and the Saharan branch of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (a militant ...
(JNIM). Okacha served as the commanders of Katiba al-Furqan and Katiba al-Mulathamoun within AQIM, and was appointed as the co-governor of
Tombouctou Region Tombouctou Region or Timbuktu Region ( Bambara: ߕߎߡߎߕߎ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ, Tumutu Dineja) is one of the administrative regions of Mali. For administrative purposes, the region is subdivided into five cercles. The region is part of northern Mal ...
during Ansar Dine's capture of the region during the
2012 Tuareg rebellion The 2012 Tuareg rebellion was the early phase of the Mali War; from January to April 2012, a war was waged against the Politics of Mali, Malian government by rebels with the goal of attaining independence for the northern region of Mali, known as ...
. Okacha was then appointed as the second-in-command of AQIM between 2012 and 2017, where he co-founded JNIM alongside
Iyad Ag Ghaly Iyad Ag Ghaly (, sometimes romanised as Ag Ghali; born 1954), also known as Abū al-Faḍl (), is a Tuareg Islamist militant from Mali's Kidal Region. He has been active in Tuareg rebellions against the Malian government since the 1980s – pa ...
and
Amadou Kouffa Amadou Koufa, ''nom de guerre'' of Amadou Diallo, also spelled Hamadoun Kouffa or Amadou Kouffa (born 1961) is a Malian Fulani jihadist and preacher who founded Katiba Macina, later part of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. Early life and pre ...
. Okacha served as the second-in-command of JNIM until his death in 2019.


Biography

Okacha was born on May 9, 1978, near
Reghaïa Reghaïa is a municipality in Algiers Province, Algeria. It is located in Rouïba District, Rouïba districts of Algeria, district and is the most populated municipality of the district. Geography It is located in the northern part of the plain ...
,
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
. He was close with either the
Islamic Salvation Front The Islamic Salvation Front (; , FIS) was an Islamist political party in Algeria. The party had two major leaders representing its two bases of its support; Abbassi Madani appealed to pious small businessmen, and Ali Belhadj appealed to the a ...
or
Armed Islamic Group The Armed Islamic Group (GIA, from ; ) was one of the two main Islamist insurgent groups that fought the Algerian government and army in the Algerian Civil War. It was created from smaller armed groups following the 1992 military coup and ar ...
as a teenager during the
Algerian Civil War The Algerian Civil War (), known in Algeria as the Black Decade (, ), was a civil war fought between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups from 11 January 1992 (following a 1992 Algerian coup d'état, coup negating an Islami ...
, which earned him an eighteen-month prison sentence in 1995. After Okacha's release, he befriended
Abdelmalek Droukdel Abdelmalek Droukdel (; 20 April 1970 – 3 June 2020), also known by his alias as Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud (), was the emir, or leader, of the Algerian Islamic militant group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), formerly the Salafist Group f ...
as the both of them grew up in
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
. He joined the
Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (), known by the French acronym GSPC ('), was an Algerian Islamist militant group in the Algerian Civil War founded in 1998 by Hassan Hattab, a former regional commander of the Armed Islamic Group (G ...
(GSPC) at its creation in 1998. Within the group, he served as a sniper due to having a lame right foot. In the early 2000s, Okacha was appointed the commander of Zone 2, which consisted of
Tizi Ouzou Province Tizi Ouzou ( Kabyle: Tawilayt n Tizi Wezzu, ) is a province (''wilayah'') of Algeria in the Kabylia region. Its capital is Tizi Ouzou, with a popoluation of 1.198.561 inhabitants in 2019, with a density of 405/square kilometers. History In 1 ...
. He also became a qadi, or judge, of the GSPC. Okacha entered northern Mali in 2003 or 2004. Under the command of
Mokhtar Belmokhtar Mokhtar Belmokhtar (; ;pronounced in Algerian Arabic as 1 June 1972 – November 2016), also known as Khalid Abu al-Abbas, the One-Eyed, Nelson, and the Uncatchable, was an Algerian leader of the group Al-Murabitoun, former military commander ...
, Okacha co-founded the Katiba al-Mulathamoun, one of the brigades of the GSPC. Okacha was sentenced to death in absentia in Algeria for his activities in the GSPC (later renaming to
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (, ), or AQIM, is an Islamist militant organization (of al-Qaeda) that aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state. To that end, it was then engaged in an insurgency ...
in 2005). During the GSPC's insurgency in the Sahel in the early 2000s, Okacha took part in several operations. In 2005, he fought in the Lemgheity attack on a Mauritanian army barracks, and in 2009 he helped assassinate American aid worker Christopher Leggett. In August 2009, he led an attack on the French embassy in
Nouakchott Nouakchott ( ) is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania. Once a ...
, Mauritania, and the kidnapping of an Italian-Burkinabe couple in December 2010. During hostage negotiations, Okacha determined the final ransom prices. In 2009, Okacha also commanded Katiba al-Furqan. Under his leadership, the katiba assassinated Malian colonel Lamana Ould Bou in
Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. ...
. Bou's assassination sparked a falling-out with Belmokhtar. However, he was still on good terms with Abou Zeid, the head of another katiba within AQIM.


Mali War

Okacha led jihadist forces of
Ansar Dine Ansar Dine ( ''ʾAnṣār ad-Dīn'', also transliterated ''Ançar Deen''), meaning " helpers of the religion" (Islam) (Defenders of the Faith) and also known as Ansar al-Din (abbreviated as AAD), was a Salafi jihadist group led by Iyad Ag Gha ...
and AQIM alongside
Iyad Ag Ghaly Iyad Ag Ghaly (, sometimes romanised as Ag Ghali; born 1954), also known as Abū al-Faḍl (), is a Tuareg Islamist militant from Mali's Kidal Region. He has been active in Tuareg rebellions against the Malian government since the 1980s – pa ...
, Abou Zeid, and Belmokhtar during the Tuareg rebellion in 2012. The jihadist offensive captured
Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. ...
and drove out the MNLA and MAA. Okacha was appointed as co-governor of Timbuktu following its capture, and his reign in the city suppressed looting and distributed food, although enforced extremist interpretations of
Sharia law Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, inta ...
and
destroyed Destroyed may refer to: * ''Destroyed'' (Sloppy Seconds album), a 1989 album by Sloppy Seconds * ''Destroyed'' (Moby album), a 2011 album by Moby See also * Destruction (disambiguation) * Ruined (disambiguation) Ruins are the remains of man-m ...
world heritage sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
in the city. After the death of Nabil Abou Alqama in September 2012, Droukdel appointed Okacha as "Emir of the Sahara", effectively making him second-in-command of AQIM. Okacha commanded all AQIM forces in the Sahel. In late 2012 and early 2013, Okacha helped Belmokhtar plan and perpetrate the
In Amenas hostage crisis The In Amenas hostage crisis began on 16 January 2013, when al-Qaeda-linked terrorists affiliated with a brigade led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar took expat hostages at the Tigantourine gas facility near In Amenas, Algeria. One of Belmokhtar's sen ...
. At this time, Belmokhtar was expelled from AQIM and had founded his own group Signatories By Blood. Okacha left Timbuktu with his men in January 2013 at the start of
Operation Barkhane Operation Barkhane (French language, French: ''Opération Barkhane'') was a counterinsurgency operation that started on 1 August 2014 and formally ended on 9 November 2022. It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's S ...
. He reportedly fought at the
battle of Ifoghas The Battle of Ifoghas, also known as the Battle of Tigharghâr or the Battle of the Ametettai, took place from 18 February to 31 March 2013, during the Northern Mali conflict. The French army and the Chadian army fought armed Salafist jihadist gr ...
that same year. On August 10, 2014, French forces captured an AQIM cell near Timbuktu, including a close confidant of Okacha named Abou Tourab. In January 2016, Okacha applauded the
November 2015 Paris attacks A series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 21:16, three suicide bombers struck outside the Stade de France in Saint-De ...
and welcomed Belmokhtar's return to AQIM in an interview with Mauritanian news agency al-Akhbar. He deplored
Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi Lehbib Ould Ali Ould Said Ould Yumani (; 16 February 1973 – 17 August 2021), also known by the ''nom de guerre'' Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi (), was a Sahrawi Islamist militant and the first Emir of the Islamic State – Sahel Province. B ...
's defection to create the predecessor to the
Islamic State in the Greater Sahara Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, but stated he was still in contact with Sahrawi. Okacha appeared alongside Ghaly, Kouffa, Abu Hassan al-Ansari, and Abu Abderrahman El Senhadji in a video announcing the merger of several Malian jihadist groups into
Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin Jama'at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (, JNIM; , GSIM; ) is a Salafi Jihadist organisation in the Maghreb and West Africa formed by the merger of Ansar Dine, al-Mourabitoun and the Saharan branch of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (a militant ...
(JNIM) on January 2, 2017. Ghaly led the new group, and Okacha was appointed second-in-command and commander of Tombouctou Region.


Death

Okacha was killed on February 21, 2019, during the battle of Elakla when a group of jihadist vehicles were intercepted by French forces. Another prominent jihadist within JNIM,
Seifallah Ben Hassine Seifallah Ben Omar Ben Mohamed Ben Hassine (), known as Abu Ayyad al-Tunisi (), was a Tunisian Islamic militant and the founder and leader of Ansar al-Sharia (Tunisia). History He was born 8 November 1965 in Menzel Bourguiba in northern Tunisia. ...
, was killed during the battle as well. Okacha's death was confirmed in a video released by
Sedane Ag Hita Sedane Ag Hita, also known as Abou Abdelhakim al-Kidali, is a Malian jihadist who is currently serving as the second-in-command of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin since March 11, 2019. Biography Early life and AQIM years Hita was born in ...
, who would later succeed Okacha as JNIM's second-in-command. Droukdel also confirmed Okacha's death in February 2020.


References

{{Reflist 1978 births 2019 deaths People from Réghaïa