Lionel Dumont
Encyclopedia
Lionel Dumont is a former French soldier currently serving life in prison. He converted to Islam
after serving with peacekeeper
s in Somalia
. He was later accused of participating in the Gang de Roubaix, which unsuccessfully tried to set a car bomb
during the G7 meeting in Lille
in March 1996.
school in hopes of becoming a reporter. He dropped out in 1992, and joined the French Army
. He volunteered for a peacekeeping mission in Somalia, but found himself unable to adapt to civilian life when he returned. He turned to Islam, and adopted the kunya
Abu Hamza, and joined the Yugoslav War on the side of the Bosnian mujahideen
in defence of the local Muslim population being attacked by Croatian and Serbian forces.
prison where he was incarcerated and fled to Japan
, where he lived
quietly for a number of years, using a fake passport
to enter and leave the country. Eventually, Japanese police arrested him, claiming that he was attempting to form an Al Qaeda ring in Japan. Dumont was extradited to France, where he had been convicted in absentia
for his role in a number of robberies and violent crimes and sentenced to life in prison.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
after serving with peacekeeper
Peacekeeper
Peacekeeper may refer to:* A person involved in peacekeeping* Peace officer* Conservator of the peaceIn vehicles:* The LGM-118 Peacekeeper, a land-based nuclear ICBM...
s in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. He was later accused of participating in the Gang de Roubaix, which unsuccessfully tried to set a car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
during the G7 meeting in Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
in March 1996.
Life
Dumont grew up in a traditional Christian family, and attended journalismJournalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
school in hopes of becoming a reporter. He dropped out in 1992, and joined the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
. He volunteered for a peacekeeping mission in Somalia, but found himself unable to adapt to civilian life when he returned. He turned to Islam, and adopted the kunya
Kunya
Kunya can refer to:*Kunya an honorific in Arabic names*Kunya Urgench, a town in Turkmenistan*Kunya River, a river in northwestern Russia*Kunya, Russia, an urban-type settlement in Pskov Oblast, Russia...
Abu Hamza, and joined the Yugoslav War on the side of the Bosnian mujahideen
Bosnian mujahideen
Bosnian mujahideen were foreign Muslim volunteers who fought on the side of Bosnian Muslims during the 1992–1995 Bosnian war. They arrived in Bosnia with the aim of fighting for Islam and on behalf of Muslims who were at the time brutally attacked by Serbs and Croats in different parts of the...
in defence of the local Muslim population being attacked by Croatian and Serbian forces.
Crimes
Dumont was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the 1990s for the murder of a Bosnian police officer. He escaped from the SarajevoSarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
prison where he was incarcerated and fled to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he lived
Gaijin
is a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien". This word is a short form of gaikokujin , which literally means "person from outside of the country". The word is composed of two kanji: , meaning "outside"; and , meaning "person". Thus, the word technically means "outsider"...
quietly for a number of years, using a fake passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
to enter and leave the country. Eventually, Japanese police arrested him, claiming that he was attempting to form an Al Qaeda ring in Japan. Dumont was extradited to France, where he had been convicted in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
for his role in a number of robberies and violent crimes and sentenced to life in prison.