French hostages 'free this week'
2000-09-11 11:48
Ras-al-Khaimah - Two French television journalists still held by Muslim rebels in
the Philippines will be released in two or three days, a Libyan
mediator told AFP on Monday.
"There is an agreement in place already," said mediator Rajab
Azzarouq, Tripoli's point man in negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf
guerrillas.
"It's only a matter of two to three days before the release," he
said after flying into the Gulf from the Philippines with four
European hostages who were released on Saturday.
"Because the security situation is not so okay for the safe
release, we need things to calm down, down there," Azzarouq added.
He said he would fly straight back to the Philippines to pursue his
efforts after the hostages reach Tripoli later on Monday.
French cameraman Jean-Jacques Le Garrec (46), and soundman Roland
Madura (49), of the state-run France 2 channel were abducted in Jolo
in July while covering the hostage crisis.
They had been expected to be set free along with the four Europeans
seized in April.
But chief Philippines government negotiator Roberto Aventajado said
an Abu Sayyaf leader warned him that both sides should allow the
situation in Jolo to stabilise following bloody infighting.
The chartered Libyan Ilyushin plane landed in Ras Al-Khaimah desert
airport on a refuelling stopover en route to Tripoli where the four
were to thank the Gaddafi Charitable Foundation, headed by
Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam, for facilitating their release and
then fly home.
The organisation has offered up to $10 million in
development aid to poor Muslim areas in the southern Philippines.
Sources in the Philippines have said millions of dollars in ransom
were also paid to the guerrillas, but the charity has denied this.
"Those figures are mere speculation," Azzarouq told AFP. "There is
no such figure. The media are still trying to manipulate the ordeal
and may jeopardise the safety and welfare of the hostages."
Finns Risto Vahanen, Seppo Fraenti, Frenchman Stephane Loisy and
German Marc Wallert had boarded the aircraft at dawn for a 16-hour
flight from the Philippines after four and a half months in
captivity.
They were accompanied by medical personnel and diplomats from their
countries as well as Libyan officials.
"We are very happy to be here," Wallert told AFP. "Our plans are to
proceed to Tripoli to say thank you to the Gaddafi organisation and
then proceed on to our countries."
All the group disembarked at the airport and were given flowers
before joyfully posing for and taking photographs of themselves
with the bearded Libyan mediator.
Sandwiches, cakes and juice were served in the terminal.
The flight on to Tripoli was expected to take five and a half
hours.
The airport at Ras Al-Khaimah, the northernmost emirate in the UAE
federation, was also used as a stopover en route to Tripoli on
29 August when Libya negotiated the release of six hostages from
the rebels.
The international airport is 22 kilometres inland from
the city of Ras Al-Khaimah on the Gulf coast.
- Sapa-AFP
- SAPA