The fate of 31 European tourists feared kidnapped in the Sahara desert has grown murkier after the Algerian Government denied that talks were under way with their presumed captors. “I can tell you there are no negotiations, there is no contact with anyone,” Interior Minister Yazid Zerhouni said on state-run radio. On Sunday, state radio quoted the Algerian tourism minister as saying discussions with the hostage-takers had begun, but his statement was categorically denied by his ministry the next day. Some of the tourists – 15 Germans, 10 Austrians, four Swiss nationals, a Dutchman and a Swede – have been missing since February. The tourists were in six or seven separate groups, and all were travelling without guides. Some were crossing the Sahara by motorbike. The interior minister, however, reiterated his belief that the tourists are still alive. Full Story
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