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If they can't guarantee the safety near the frontier, where can they?
Kobenni is about 17 km linear distance from a checkpoint at the frontier (only looked it up in GE) and there are still some villages inbetween. Very sad. |
Has anything been said/heard about the Spanish aid workers kidnapped a short while before? Or did I miss the outcome?
"If besides Algeria 2003 no biker was ever kidnapped in Africa, why why why worry? If you're a biker." - Priffe Priffe, I like your approach and sincerely hope you're right - for the sakes of us who ride rather than drive! Not sure that my government could meet any kind of ransom demand... Whether it is mode of transport, nationality or religion or a combination of them all... I still find it humiliating that we can be so at odds with each other that - as humans - we go to such extremes to further our causes. And that fingers humanity as a whole, I suppose... My thoughts remain with them all. And with us all. |
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Regards Ulrich |
Very interesting. Here's perhaps xfiltrates "3rd party"...
"Bellawar"... Good news, I think! Bienvenue chez Lakoom-info.com Global Times - Mauritanian authorities arrest leading kidnapper of Italian couple |
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE5BL1MR.htm
NOUAKCHOTT, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Mauritanian security forces have arrested a Malian suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of an Italian couple near the Mali-Mauritania border, security sources said on Tuesday. Abderrahmane Ben Meddou, who was arrested in Mauritania's eastern town of Kobenni on Monday, is suspected of having helped identify and follow the Italian couple in return for promises of thousands of dollars, Mauritania's news agency reported. The kidnapping is the latest in a string of seizures of foreigners by armed groups in West Africa, some of whom have links with al Qaeda's North African wing, AQIM. "He was arrested in Kobenni by the gendarmes," a security source told Reuters, referring to the eastern Mauritanian town near to where the Italian couple's bullet-riddled car was found abandoned on Saturday. The Malian is currently being questioned by the authorities in the capital, Nouakchott, the security sources added. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping but Italy said it is using all its political and diplomatic channels to try to secure the release of the couple. Citing intelligence sources, Mauritania's AMI news agency said Ben Meddou has told officials that he had found and followed potential hostages in return for a promise of 10 million CFA francs ($21,810) at the end of the operation. It was not immediately clear who Ben Meddou was working for but local media reports suggested the Italians, and three Spaniards taken last month in Mauritania, were kidnapped on the orders of various factions of AQIM. Analysts and diplomats suspect the Italian couple have been taken into Mali's remote north, where other foreigners, including the Spaniards and a Frenchman al Qaeda says it is also holding, are believed to be. Rather than carrying out kidnappings themselves, Islamists in the region are believed to rely on local gangs, generally involved in the smuggling of cigarettes, weapons, drugs and people, to seize foreigners who are then passed on to them. |
Interesting article from RFI about the secret negotiatons to free the hostages.
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Google translation Regards Ulrich |
i think the end is near....
i hope the best for the hostages and have good christmans |
The mauritanian Imam Abu Hanna has written an handbook for AQMI how to handle hostages.
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Gogoonisch - English Also interesting: The involvement of an mauritanien police-officer at the abduction. Quote:
Gogoonisch - English Regards Ulrich |
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News about Spanish and Italien Hostages.
L'Expression Edition OnLine - Al Qaîda pose ses conditions Al Qaeda poses its conditions and Un jefe tuareg de Malí negocia el rescate · ELPAÍS.com A Malian Tuareg leader negotiates the rescue and Saharamedias Quote:
Ulrich |
The statement in arabic (audio only)
Statement - audio http://images.alarabiya.net/large_42969_95554.jpg |
More From Reuters - Africa.
UPDATE 1-Al Qaeda says kidnapped Italians in Africa-report | News by Country | Reuters |
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Regards Ulrich |
The Spaniard has got three gunfire impacts in the legs
Good morning!
This is the information published by Spanish media today: El Gobierno confirma que uno de los rehenes españoles está herido · ELPAÍS.com Quote and translation of the more relevant news: "...la información que maneja el Ejecutivo apunta a que el cooperante recibió tres disparos en la pierna izquierda -uno en el tobillo y dos en el muslo, uno de los cuales le afectó al fémur- al intentar escapar en el momento del secuestro, según fuentes gubernamentales..." "The information managed by the Executive suggests that one of the cooperants received three shots in the left leg - one in the ankle and two in the thigh, one of whom affected the femur- trying to escape at the time of kidnapping, according to government sources." The rest of the article just states informations already known like "it's a good thing the captors mentioned that they are going to treat prisioners by the Shariah because it says to treat them well, etc..." Other Spanish newspaper called El Mundo adds a little more information in the sense that the injuries are not serious: Albert Vilalta, uno de los secuestrados, está herido de bala en una pierna | Barcelona | elmundo.es and captors move prisioners every two days to hide them properly, even they change countries: "from North Mali, to South of Algeria, East Niger and Mauritanie..." Malí afirma que mueven a los rehenes 'cada dos días' para dificultar su localización | Barcelona | elmundo.es |
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