PARIS: The north African branch of Al-Qaeda threatened to execute a French hostage unless four of its militants were freed from jail in Mali in 20 days, two US monitoring groups said today.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed last month it was holding Frenchman Pierre Camatte, who was seized

in Mali in late November, as

well as three Spaniards kidnapped in neighbouring Mauritania four days later.

US groups SITE Intelligence Group and Intelcenter, which monitor Islamist websites, said Al-Qaeda issued its ultimatum in a statement dated January 10.

“The mujahedeen have decided to inform the French and Malian governments of their only demand to release the French hostage Pierre Camatte — the release of our four prisoners apprehended by the state of ‘Mali’ many months ago,” Intelcenter quoted the ultimatum as saying.

“Let France and Mali be forewarned, that we give 20 days to fulfill our just demand, or the two governments shall be fully responsible for the life of the French hostage,” it said in a statement.

“We also call upon the French public opinion and the hostage’s family to pressure (French President Nicolas) Sarkozy’s government to prevent the repetition of (British Prime Minister) Gordon Brown’s folly against his British citizen.”

AQIM had claimed responsibility for the killing of British hostage Edwin Dyer who was executed in June, six months after being kidnapped in Niger, near the Mali border.

A security official in Mali said the four militants that AQIM wants freed were picked up months ago in the north of the country. “Several months ago, we arrested four elements of AQIM in a search operation in the north,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “Amongst them, there is one person from Burkina Faso, two from Mauritania and an Algerian,” he said, without identifying them further.

Camatte, 61, was snatched from a hotel in Menaka in

the Sahel region of northern Mali, more than 1,500 km from the capital Bamako, during the night of November 25.