Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Regional Forums > North Africa
North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



Trans Sahara Routes.

Like Tree1Likes

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 22 Sep 2008
Ulrich's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: In the heart of Bavaria
Posts: 406
Gilf Kibir kidnappings

Hello,

maybe this is a special year for kidnapping:

Egypt: Tourists Kidnapped Near Aswan | World News | Sky News



Regards

Ulrich

P.S.: I'm sorry that I'm mostly the deliverer for bad news.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 22 Sep 2008
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Cairo
Posts: 304
I presume it's out towards Gilf Kebir.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 22 Sep 2008
Ulrich's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: In the heart of Bavaria
Posts: 406
Yes, that's what my private source told me:

Warning! Maybe it happened in Gilf Khebir

Ulrich
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 22 Sep 2008
Ulrich's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: In the heart of Bavaria
Posts: 406
Here is the confirmation
Quote:
Mustapha Tawfiq, chief of police in the southern city of Aswan, told state television that four men abducted the group near Gilf el-Kabir, near the borders with Libya and Sudan.
Al Jazeera English - Middle East - Tourists 'abducted' in Egypt

Regards

Ulrich
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 22 Sep 2008
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Tallinn
Posts: 403
Exclamation 11 tourists abducted near Uweinat

All accross the mainstream news, with lots of misinformation, but the sketchy facts:

11 foreigners, 5 Italian, 5 German and a Romanian. They were with an egyptian operator, including the company owner, two giudes(?), four drivers and an officer, with four cars. The abductors were african in appearance (based on phone call from one of the group members), most likely Sudanese. The incident apparently happened on friday, but news only became known today afternoon (monday).

The group started from Dakhla, the abduction happened somewhere somewhere in the Gilf/Uweinat area, or possibly on the Selima Sand Sheet. Latest reports suggest the event happened in Karkur Talh, echoing the event last February posted on Carlo Bergmann's website

Group allegedly taken accross the Sudanese border, reportedly a 6 million USD ransom is being asked. There are reports suggesting that some negotiations are taking place (presumably over the group's Satphone).

In a new twist, it is now reported that the abductors may have been Egyptian. This is not totally surprising, as one would need insider info to know when/where a group is going, otherwise it is a pretty big and empty place just to leave hunting for chance... The SLA were quick to deny any involvement, but I doubt whether their spokesperson actually knows what all the loose groups are doing, so for the time being tha abductors may well be Sudanese (or even from Chad as some sources suggested).

More as I get some reliable info.

It appears the Gilf / Uweinat is off limits for the time being

UPDATE 1: Earlier reports that the 11 tourists have been released appear to be false, it is being denied by officials in Cairo. As of tuesday morning it appears to be full confusion, for the time being nothing is really known, except that the incident did happen. It appears that the German government is taking a lead in the negotiations. I'm not sure this bodes well: with their track record of paying up, if this will be the case again then it simply reinforces the viability of the business model.

UPDATE 2: No real news over the past two days, and the thread is growing so I will no longer update this post, will make new posts when any meaningful information surfaces.

Last edited by andrasz; 24 Sep 2008 at 13:36. Reason: Update
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 22 Sep 2008
-
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,342
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ulrich View Post
Hello,

maybe this is a special year for kidnapping:

Egypt: Tourists Kidnapped Near Aswan | World News | Sky News



Regards

Ulrich

P.S.: I'm sorry that I'm mostly the deliverer for bad news.
Ach Mensch.... Any chance, Ulrich, for some HAPPY news please? we all know the world is an evil place blah blah blah but there are still some amazingly good stuff & people out there!
Bitter Schön?
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 22 Sep 2008
Ulrich's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: In the heart of Bavaria
Posts: 406
Hello Bert and all others, good news now:

Egypt | Africa - Reuters.com - Gunmen free foreign hostages seized in Egypt

Friendly regards

Ulrich
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 23 Sep 2008
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Posts: 1,362
"and all are safe and sound, Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Monday."

No so fast

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Egypt abduction talks 'ongoing'

Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit originally reported their release ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in New York.

He said the hostages were "safe and sound".

But the cabinet spokesman, Magdy Radi, later said: "It is premature to say they are released. The negotiations are still continuing."
__________________
---
Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 23 Sep 2008
Ulrich's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: In the heart of Bavaria
Posts: 406
Sorry, but the bad news stick on my fingers

Reuters - Kidnappers threaten to kill hostages - Egypt official

Greetings

Ulrich
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 23 Sep 2008
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Oxford, U.K.
Posts: 625
First, I hope for the sake of all involved that this latest issue solves itself quickly - at least as quickly as Egypt's foreign minister seemed to think it had been solved.

There was an interesting pattern of escalation in the Gilf - starting with the theft of the cars which was discussed extensively on the forum earlier this year. Following that was the strange set of events with the Swiss guys, who had the cars and belongings stolen and then returned (partly) some days later. And now this. It is almost as though the bandits were testing the extent of the counter insurgency capabilities before they went for the big (multi-million euro) effort.

Looking more broadly, there is a pattern of abductions emerging across a lot of Africa north of the equator. About 30 ships have been hijacked in Somalia this year and there is a whole industry built around feeding and maintaining the kidnapped (near the town of Eyl). Then there are the abductions in the Niger Delta in Nigeria and the kidnapping of the Austrains who are still being held in Mali. News of a 'good' idea seems to spread quite far.

The region I am most familiar with crime-wise is South Africa were a similar pattern of 'idea' crime has spread (not involving kidnappings as much as ATM explosions, cash-in-transit heists and so on). The difficulty here is that those undertaking the crime initially, tend to plan carefully and are pretty professional. The crime soon leads to bloodshed when less capable bandits copy the ideas. Makes you wonder about the Sahara.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 23 Sep 2008
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Berne
Posts: 2
Permission for Great Sand Sea

To Andrasz,
Hi as I know you're a very experienced desert traveller to the Gilf and Unweinat. I'm planning to do a trip middle of November with some friends from Farafra (badawiya) and would like to know your opinion. I just plan to do a 6 to 7 night trip from Farafra-Ain Dalla-Sand Sea until the Silica Field and back to Abu Minqar. Do you think that the Egyptian governement will suspend all necessary permissions to travel into the Sand Sea? Would like to read your opinion about this matter.
Thanks.
Regards,
Thomas
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 23 Sep 2008
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 208
Bandits apart - is the Gilf so special to make such an effort to visit, particularly if you have traversed the Sahara from Mori to Egypt via Algeria and Libya? I guess my question is, what is so special about it?
__________________

Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 23 Sep 2008
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Tallinn
Posts: 403
Quote:
Originally Posted by saharagems View Post
Do you think that the Egyptian governement will suspend all necessary permissions to travel into the Sand Sea?
Hello Thomas,

It is pure speculation at the moment. Much will depend on the outcome of this event, but my assessment is that restrictions will be put in place, simply to show that the Egyptian government is doing something (which they are not, the only thing they will want is to prevent another incident causing bad press for the immensely more important Nile valley tourism). However it is impossible to guess what the restrictions will be - usually there is no logic to it. We'll just have to wait and see...

Personally I'd consider any place north of 24 degrees perfectly safe, at least from the angle we are talking about now.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 23 Sep 2008
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Tallinn
Posts: 403
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fastship View Post
Bandits apart - is the Gilf so special to make such an effort to visit, particularly if you have traversed the Sahara from Mori to Egypt via Algeria and Libya? I guess my question is, what is so special about it?
Your question gives the answer : It is remote, uninhabited, untouched, unexplored. Wish it would have stayed that way...
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 23 Sep 2008
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Berne
Posts: 2
Permissions to the Sand Sea

Dear Andrasz,
Thank you for your opinion. It was the answer I expected. The most important for the governement is that tourism at the Red Sea and Nile Valley will not be affected. They make millions of income out of it and can easily renounce to the some thousands they made out of the permissions and the so called officers they sent on each trip. Comparing to the main tourism areas this are just peanuts. I'm only sorry for all who plan to do trips to the Gilf and for the tour operators who are depending on this income (specially at this moment when the high season is starting).
Also about the logic I completly agree with you...there is no logic in whole Egypt..I was living 5yrs in Cairo so anything will be possible.
Would you be so kind to inform me about any news concerning the permissions (I guess you are planing trips too in the coming months). You may contact me also outside the forum at saharagems Aattt yahoo com
Thanks again.
Regards,
Thomas

Last edited by Grant Johnson; 25 Sep 2008 at 13:17. Reason: NEVER post your email address on the web UNLESS you LOVE spam! Because the spambots will harvest it & send you lots of spam!
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Trip to El Ewynat & Gilf kebir Budrinna North Africa 8 20 Sep 2010 15:59
Egypt - Gilf Kebir - Warning! Ulrich North Africa 28 19 Jun 2008 13:07
Egypt - Gilf / motorbike lordmaciek2 North Africa 5 17 May 2005 20:45
Egypt - the Gilf Kebir Runner North Africa 21 1 Apr 2003 23:31

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now
, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

ALL Dates subject to change.

2024:

  • California: April 18-21
  • Virginia: April 25-28
  • Germany Summer: May 9-12
  • Québec: May 17-19
  • Bulgaria Mini: July 5-7
  • CanWest: July 11-14
  • Switzerland: August 15-18
  • Ecuador: August 23-25
  • Romania: August 30-Sept 1
  • Austria: September 12-15
  • France: September 20-22
  • Germany Autumn: Oct 31-Nov 3

2025 Confirmed Events:

  • Virginia: April 24-27 2025
  • Queensland is back! May 2-4 2025
  • Germany Summer: May 29-June 1 2025
  • CanWest: July 10-13 2025
  • Switzerland: Date TBC
  • Ecuador: Date TBC
  • Romania: Date TBC
  • Austria: Sept. 11-15
  • California: September 18-21
  • France: September 19-21 2025
  • Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2 2025

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

Adventurous Bikers – We've got all your Hygiene & Protection needs SORTED! Powdered Hair & Body Wash, Moisturising Cream Insect Repellent, and Moisturising Cream Sunscreen SPF50. ESSENTIAL | CONVENIENT | FUNCTIONAL.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.




All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:20.