"Al-Tawhid and al-Jihad" member The militant "Al-Tawhid and al-Jihad" network in northern Mali has agreed to extend the deadline given by the Algerian authorities for three additional days, so that the al-Qaeda detainees could be released in exchange for the Algerian Vice Consul.
The group has threatened to kill Tahar Touati if their demands are not met.
Al-Qaeda’s leader and Deputy Governor of the Sahara region, Nabil Abu Alqamah,   said in a statement: "Al-Tawhid and Jihad agreed to give the Algerian authorities additional time, not to exceed three days, starting Wednesday August 29, and ending Friday 31 of the same month.”
The statement added that al-Qaeda’s initiative came in recognition of the support by the Algerian people and an expansion of the negotiated solutions with the Algerian authorities in so that Touati could live.
The statement also stressed that the movement was astonished by the rejection by Algerian authorities, after negotiations reached an advanced stage. The parties agreed to set a date for the swap of al-Qaeda's arrested members with the Algerian diplomats detained in Gao.
The Algerian diplomat kidnapped in Gao appealed to the Algerian authorities to save his life through a video.
The family of Touati appealed to the Algerian authorities to save the life of their son, describing him as "a decent, intelligent man,” who was married three months ago just before his abduction. The kidnapper appeared with a beard and asked for help from the Algerian authorities and people to save his life.
Tuesday was the deadline set by al-Tawhid and Jihad, as it declared last Friday that it gave Algerian authorities five days to accept the handover of its three members, who were arrested in the city of Bryan in the state of Ghardaia (550km south of Algiers). The movement have been threatening to kill the detained diplomats in the city of Gao (northern Mali) since April.