Abdelhamid Abou Zeid

Who was Abdelhamid Abou Zeid?

Abdelhamid Abou Zeid was an Algerian national and Islamist jihadi militant and smuggler who, in about 2010, became one of the top three military commanders of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a Mali-based militant organization. He competed as the chief rival of Mokhtar Belmokhtar, an Algerian national who had become the major commander in AQIM and later head of his own group. Both gained wealth and power by kidnapping and ransoming European nationals. After taking control of Timbuktu in 2012, Abou Zeid established sharia law and destroyed Sufi shrines.

Abou Zeid was killed by French and Chadian troops on 25 February 2013 in fighting in Northern Mali. On March 23, Zeid's death was "definitively confirmed" by the French president's office.