France denies paying ransom as Sahel hostages return


  • World
  • Thursday, 31 Oct 2013

French President Francois Hollande (C), French Defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (R) and Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius (2ndR) walk with former French hostages Marc Feret (L), Thierry Dol (2ndL), Pierre Legrand (3rdL) and Daniel Larribe (3rdR) on the tarmac upon their arrival at Villacoublay military airport, near Paris, October 30, 2013. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

NIAMEY/PARIS (Reuters) - Four Frenchmen held hostage in the Sahara desert by al Qaeda-linked gunmen for three years were reunited with their families on Wednesday, and Paris dismissed media reports it had paid a ransom for their release.

The men, kidnapped in 2010 while working for French nuclear group Areva and a subsidiary of construction group Vinci in northern Niger, were freed on Tuesday after secret negotiations conducted by the government of Niger.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In World

Roundup: Kenya increases emergency preparations as floods kill over 50
Burundi to introduce anti-malaria vaccine to combat first killer disease
Honda to build Canada's first comprehensive EV supply chain
Ethiopia expects more Chinese investments in manufacturing sector
US Supreme Court justices in Trump case lean toward some level of immunity
Number of poor in Africa rises to 476 mln amid multiple crises: report
Skilled labor situation in German healthcare system remains tense: report
Feature: China's electric motorcycles win consumers in Iraq
Burkina Faso army executed over 220 villagers in February, HRW says
Yellen says range of options to deal with frozen Russian assets

Others Also Read