(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Nouakchott: Just-released Guantanamo Bay detainee Mauritania's Ahmed Ould Abdel Aziz appeared in public at home on Friday for the first time and said he now hoped for "a peaceful life without problems".
Repatriated Wednesday after 13 years behind bars the heavily-bearded man looking healthy but tired gave an impromptu press conference at the family home in a residential neighbourhood with government members on hand as well as relatives and supporters.
"What happened to me in Guantanamo belongs to the past. Now I hope to be able to lead a peaceful life without problems in my country" he said without offering details on his detention arrest or release.
But he did thank the Mauritanian authorities for working for his release from the US military facility as well as all those who supported him during his "ordeal."
The 45-year-old detainee an alleged Al-Qaeda cell member who later fled to Afghanistan and was accused of fighting there was captured in June 2002 in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi.
He was first held at the US detention centre at Bagram north of the Afghan capital Kabul then transferred to Guantanamo in October that year according to Defense Department documents published by WikiLeaks.
He is alleged to have sworn an oath of loyalty to Osama bin Laden in 1999 and was accused of fighting on the front lines in Afghanistan against the US-backed anti-Taliban Northern Alliance. According to his 2008 file he "possibly" fought against US and coalition forces.
Abdel Aziz told the US military that he had seen bin Laden at the Islamic Institute in Kandahar on three occasions and attended the wedding of bin Laden's son in early 2000.
On Thursday the Mauritanian communications ministry said his release came after "diplomatic efforts" by the government.
A government official speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP that Abdel Aziz faced no charges in his home country.
The communication ministry also said Mauritania would press on with efforts to secure the release of the last of its citizens at Guantanamo Mohamedou Ould Slahi held for 13 years.
AFP