Austria turns to world for help

2008-03-18 11:09

Vienna - Austria sought international help on Monday to free two nationals seized three weeks ago in Tunisia after the kidnappers, a group linked to al-Qaeda, extended their deadline for a proposed prisoner swap.

The Austrian daily Kurier reported that the abductors from the al-Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb were now demanding a ransom of $7.9m.

An internet statement posted late on Monday in the name of al-Qaeda said the group had extended its ultimatum for the release of prisoners in exchange for two tourists until next weekend.

But it warned that "any attempt to free the hostages by force will result in failure" and trigger the "immediate execution of the hostages".

However, the authenticity of the internet statement could not be verified.

'Several world leaders approached'

Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer reportedly called Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to help, according to Austrian and Libyan media.

In Tripoli, the official news agency JANA reported that Gusenbauer and Kadhafi had broached "a number of topics of common interest" in a phone call.

The Austrian chancellor's spokesperson, Stefan Poettler, refused to confirm whether Gaddafi had been approached, but stated that authorities "have approached several international leaders, including those in the region", where the pair were kidnapped.

Officially, Vienna had repeatedly stated that it would not negotiate with the kidnappers, but former Austrian ambassador Anton Prohaska had been sent to Mali and met on Sunday with President Amadou Toumani Toure.

Austrian foreign ministry spokesperson Martin Gaertner confirmed contact with Libyan authorities but did not spell out if Gaddafi had been approached.

Libya in contact with kidnappers

The hostages were last believed to be in the desert north of the landlocked Sahel nation, but Malian authorities had not confirmed this report.

A Libyan diplomat in Mali's capital, Bamako, said on Monday that Tripoli had been asked to help and would do so.

"My country has been solicited by Austria to participate in the release of the two hostages and we shall do all we can to see that the hostages recover their freedom," the diplomat said, asking not to be named.

Sources close to the case said Libya had established contact with the kidnappers "in the vast Sahara" and that a foundation run by Gaddafi's son was involved.

This foundation participated in negotiations to free Dutch, German and Swiss tourists kidnapped in the Sahara in 2003.

Wolfgang Ebner, 51, and Andrea Kloiber, 44, were abducted on February 22 as they were vacationing in the Tunisian desert.

Originally, the kidnappers had given the Austrian government until midnight on Sunday to secure the release of a number of Islamists imprisoned in Algeria and Tunisia in exchange for the Austrians' freedom.

But the deadline was extended at the last minute amid reports that talks were switching focus to a possible ransom.

- AFP