The 60 or so elite police in charge of the close-up protection of Francois Hollande are nervous since a new islamist fatwa threatens him with death. Within a virulent campaign titled: “France we will not remain silent”, the jihadist Internet site al-Minbar Jihadi Media Network, seemingly coming from Pakistan, has distributed 6 images with hate messages in arabic and French.

On a background of a smokey Eiffel tower it reads:  “Oh France! (…) We are coming, prepare yourself for explosions and assassinations on your territory….”  “To our lonely wolves in France we say: assassinate the president”. Then they add: “Terrify his cursed government and explode bombs, frighten them in a sign of support for those who are vulnerable in the Central African Republic.”

“Execute the head of Atheism and Criminality. Terrorise his cursed government, make them explode and let them live the horror” so say these documents posted on “the media platform of the moudjahidin”, close to Al Queda in the islamic Maghreb . (North Africa).

Accusing France of “leading and sustaining ethnic cleansing and murderous crusades against the muslims of Central Africa, the jihadist call up the “brave muslims of France”. Next to an image of a hand holding an automatic pistol, they urge them to “retrace the steps of Mohamed Merah and to trigger a war in France until the total end of her aggressions in Mali and in Central Africa.

Since the killings of Toulouse and Montauban, resulting in the assassination of 8 people between the 11 and 19 march 2012, French services have established dozens of files “S” targeting supposed jihadists, well aware that many among them needed updating.

A report that went largely unnoticed:

The Elysée, who declares herself as “extremely vigilant”, notes that these threats are not the first ones of this kind. In January 2013, Joulaybib, spokesman for Mokhtar Belmokhtar,  had issued similar threats:  “I hope that  France realises that there will be dozens of Mohamed Merahs and of Khaled Kelkals (responsible for a series of attacks on French soil in the years of 1990). Not hiding the wish of the jihadis to export their conflict in order to strike the hexagon (France), the assumed “right arm” of the terrorist warlord had assured France that “the crusaders and Zionist Jews would pay for the aggression against muslims in the north of Mali, as would their lackeys”.

In his stride, Manuel Valls had pointed his finger at the famous “enemy within” which he estimated at the time to be limited to “a few dozens of individuals” which one hoped to be watched closely by the French counter-espionage.

More recently, on the 22 February last year, Aqmi published a report which passed largely unnoticed but which was also cause for concern: Calling for revenge after French intervention in Africa, a terrorist sleeping cell threatened French diplomates and leaders as follows:

“Your shameless intervention against muslims (…) is endangering your interests and your citizens. Know that your crimes will not go unpunished and that the war between you and us will continue. Expect a disaster which will be inflicted on you either by Allah or by us”.

In their message on Tuesday, the jihadists confirm:  “Neither Hollande, nor the soldiers will know peace in France unless the muslims of Mali and Central Africa can live in peace”.

According to information from the police, an inquest has been opened.