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November 29, 2023 Special Dispatch No. 10986

The Raven Project Leaks: Qatar Reportedly Paid $15 Million To Islamist Movements In Northern Mali And The Sahel In 2011

November 29, 2023
Qatar | Special Dispatch No. 10986

The following is a translation of a document in Arabic that was leaked as part of Project Raven.[1] The leaked Qatari document reportedly reveals that in 2011 the Emir of Qatar instructed that $15 million be paid to Islamist movements in northern Mali and in the Sahel. Additionally, according to a French military intelligence source, "the MNLA [secular Tuareg separatists], the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine, and MUJAO [the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa] have all received cash from Doha."[2]

The Ministry of Economy and Finance

The Office of the Minister

Secret and Urgent

To Her Excellency the Sheikha / Hind Bint Hamad Aal Thani

 Director of the office of his highness the Emir

The office of the Emir

Greetings,

I wish to refer to your Excellency’s letter (da-49-2011) of April 4, 2011, which includes the esteemed directions from His Highness, the Emir of the country, regarding sending urgent monetary support to the Islamic opposition movements in northern Mali and to the organization of the Sahel and to the Sahara in the amount of US $15 million. This sum must be distributed with the knowledge of the state security service, represented by Mr. Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Nue'eimi, under the section of humanitarian support.

I wish to inform Your Excellency that in the implementation of the esteemed directives, the sum of the support in cash, in the amount of US $15 million, was delivered to the state security service represented by Mr. Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Nue'eimi.

Please accept my deep respect.

Signature

Youssef Hussein Kamal

Minister of Economy and Finance

 

[1] Project Raven was a confidential initiative to help the UAE surveil other governments, militants, and human rights activists (Wikipedia.org/wiki/DarkMatter_Group). See also MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 10966, Documents Reportedly Reveal 2010 Agreement Between Then French President Sarkozy And Then Qatari Crown Prince Tamim Bin Hamad, In Which Qatar Pledged To Pay Sarkozy 300 Million Euros, November 20, 2023; MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 10973, The Raven Project Leaks: Alleged Qatari Support Of 3 Million Euros For Human Rights Watch, November 21, 2023; and MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 10978, The Raven Project Leaks: Former South African President Reportedly Received $2 Million For Thabo Mbeki Institute, November 22, 2023.

[2] France24.com/en/20130121-qatar-mali-france-ansar-dine-mnla-al-qaeda-sunni-islam-doha, January 21, 2013.

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