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2007 killing of French tourists in Mauritania

On 24 December 2007, four French tourists were killed and a fifth seriously injured in an attack near Aleg, Mauritania. Mauritanian authorities arrested nine suspects, and in 2010 three men were sentenced to death for the killings.

SOLVED2007

Near Aleg, Mauritania

3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
ALEG
ALEG — Credit: Mohamed saleh el ghowth · CC BY-SA 4.0

On 24 December 2007, a group of French tourists were attacked near the town of Aleg, located roughly 250 km east of Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott. The attack killed four members of the group and left a fifth survivor seriously injured. The victims were described as the survivor's two adult sons, his brother, and a friend.

In the aftermath, Mauritanian police recovered an assault rifle from a location close to the scene of the killings. Mauritanian authorities, including the country's interior minister, attributed the attack to a terrorist sleeper cell, stating that the suspects were believed to be members of an extremist group linked to al-Qaida.

On 7 January 2008, Mauritanian authorities arrested nine people in connection with the killings. One of those arrested, Sidi Ould Sidna, escaped from police custody in April 2008 but was rearrested later that same month. According to available reporting, Sidna had trained with the group Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, and the organization itself confirmed his affiliation with them.

In 2010, a Mauritanian court sentenced three men to death for the attack. The three — Sidi Ould Sidna, Mohamed Ould Chabarnou, and Maarouf Ould Haiba — had claimed to be "soldiers of Al-Qaeda."

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
2007
Location
Near Aleg, Mauritania
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2007-12-24

    Attack occurs near Aleg, Mauritania, killing four French tourists and seriously injuring a fifth.

  2. 2008-01-07

    Mauritanian authorities arrest nine people in connection with the killings; an assault rifle is recovered near the scene.

  3. 2008-04

    Suspect Sidi Ould Sidna escapes police custody.

  4. 2008-04

    Sidi Ould Sidna is rearrested.

  5. 2010

    A Mauritanian court sentences three men — Sidi Ould Sidna, Mohamed Ould Chabarnou, and Maarouf Ould Haiba — to death for the attack.

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People

  • Maarouf Ould Haiba

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to death in 2010 by a Mauritanian court for the attack.

  • Sidi Ould Sidna

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to death in 2010 by a Mauritanian court for the attack; had trained with Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, which confirmed his affiliation.

  • Mohamed Ould Chabarnou

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to death in 2010 by a Mauritanian court for the attack.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • ALEG

    archival location

    ALEG

    Credit: Mohamed saleh el ghowth · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Places

Near Aleg, Mauritania

17.0505, -13.9158

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to French?
On 24 December 2007, four French tourists were killed and a fifth seriously injured in an attack near Aleg, Mauritania. Mauritanian authorities arrested nine suspects, and in 2010 three men were sentenced to death for the killings.
Where did the killing happen?
Near Aleg, Mauritania.
Who was convicted?
Maarouf Ould Haiba (Sentenced to death in 2010 by a Mauritanian court for the attack.), Sidi Ould Sidna (Sentenced to death in 2010 by a Mauritanian court for the attack; had trained with Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, which confirmed his affiliation.), and Mohamed Ould Chabarnou (Sentenced to death in 2010 by a Mauritanian court for the attack.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Mauritania

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDIC2007 killing of French tourists in MauritaniaWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — ABC News (Australia)ABC News (Australia) · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The New York TimesThe New York Times · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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