A group of Europeans have been seized in the west African nation of Niger. A senior military officer said that Tuareg fighters were responsible for the kidnappings.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Saturday, January 08, 2011
02:36pm
Gunmen have abducted two French nationals from a restaurant in Niamey, the capital of Niger, witnesses say.
Two armed men burst into the restaurant, Le Toulousain, in the city centre, when it was crowded with diners and forced the two men to follow them, staff and diners said.
They were taken to a four-by-four vehicle bearing Benin plates in which other armed men were waiting and then driven off at speed.
The incident happened between 10:30pm and 11:30pm (0830 AEDT and 0930 AEDT).
A security source in Niger confirmed the abduction and one police source said that one of the two Frenchmen abducted had arrived that same day to attend a wedding.
Another officer said police had been mobilised to try to intercept the abductors.
In Paris, a French foreign ministry spokesman said: 'We are aware of this information, we are fully mobilised both in Paris and in Niamey to check it.'
At the restaurant, staff and diners described what had happened.
'The Frenchmen tried to resist but finally they (the abductors) pushed them into the car and they drove off quickly,' said one member of staff.
Witnesses said both the abductors had been wearing turbans and one customer at the restaurant said the two abductors had fair skin and had spoken Arabic.
'When they came in they fell on the two Frenchmen and they shouted, 'You and you, follow us'. In their rush, one of the attackers lost his turban.
'When they went out with the two Frenchmen I took my car and I chased them for about a kilometre, but as they were moving at great speed and with the lights out, I couldn't catch them,' he added.
Some diners said that they had seen the vehicles used by the kidnappers near the restaurant a few hours before the abduction.
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