MALI/ALGERIA: GERMAN DEPUTY FM JUERGEN CHROBOG CONFIRMS RELEASE OF 14 EUROPEAN HOSTAGES HELD BY ALGERIAN MILITANTS IN THE SAHARA DESERT

Record ID: 646150

  • Title: MALI/ALGERIA: GERMAN DEPUTY FM JUERGEN CHROBOG CONFIRMS RELEASE OF 14 EUROPEAN HOSTAGES HELD BY ALGERIAN MILITANTS IN THE SAHARA DESERT
  • Date: 18th August 2003
  • Summary: (W1) BAMAKO, MALI (AUGUST 18, 2003) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PLANES ON TARMAC (2 SHOTS) SV: OFFICIALS WAITING SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER JUERGEN CHROBOG SAYING: "... received about an hour ago by President Toure. He officially told me that all 14 hostages are in the care of the Malian government. The President also confirmed that all persons are in good health which is very reassuring to know that nobody was hurt." (W8) BAMAKO, MALI (AUGUST 18, 2003) (REUTERS) WS: GERMAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER JUERGEN CHROBOG TALKING TO PRESS SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) GERMAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER JUERGEN CHROBOG SAYING: "I got the message from the president of Mali, President Toure. He told me that all hostages are safe and in quite good health. They are now on their way back to Bamako, they are all under the protection of the Malian government."
  • Embargoed: 2nd September 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAMAKO, MALI / UNKNOWN LOCATION, ALGERIA
  • City:
  • Country: Mali Algeria
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA18PQSD5F5XSPMXQM1FDTLITN
  • Story Text: German official confirms release of hostages.
    All 14 European tourists held by Algerian militants in the Sahara desert have been released after more than five months in captivity, Mali's presidency said on Monday.
    German Deputy Foreign Minister Juergen Chrobog, on his second trip in a week to the impoverished country to try to free the hostages, said they were expected in the city on Tuesday (August 19).
    Chrobog told Reuters: "I got the message from the president of Mali, President Toure. He told me that all hostages are safe and in good hands. They are now on their way back to Bamako, they are all under the protection of the Mali government."
    Optimism had surged for the release of the adventure holidaymakers after a flurry of diplomatic activity, but then dimmed after a German plane sent to wait on standby in northern Mali returned without them.
    The 14 were among 32 Europeans seized in separate incidents in February and March while travelling in southern Algeria, famous for ancient grave sites, but also notorious for smuggling and banditry.
    Algerian commandos freed 17 of the hostages in May, killing their kidnappers who Algeria said belonged to the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat fighting for a purist Islamist state.
    Heatstroke is thought to have killed another hostage, a 45-year-old German woman.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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