Sahara tourist hostages freed
Ordeal in the desert comes to an end six months after being kidnapped
Fourteen travellers who were taken hostage in the Sahara desert were today reported to have been freed by their kidnappers after more than six months in captivity. The German Foreign Ministry has confirmed that nine Germans, four Swiss and a Dutchman were handed over to government officials in Mali.
As reported, the 14 were part of a larger group, which was taken hostage in Algeria in February. Some of them were freed following a gun battle in May, but the kidnappers managed to escape to with 15 hostages and smuggled them into neighbouring Mali. One of the German hostages subsequently died from heat exhaustion.
The German deputy foreign minister Juergen Chrobog praised the “diplomatic skills” of the president of Mali in negotiating the hostage’s release, stating: “All 14 hostages are in the care of the Mali authorities. They are in good health – this is a great day for us and a great day for the German government.”
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