Sahara hostages said to be in good health

Fourteen European tourists kidnapped up to six months ago in the Sahara are in reasonably good health, it was reported today amid hopes they will soon be turned over to German officials in Mali.

The nine Germans, four Swiss and a Dutchman have been handed to intermediaries by their captors, but the release hit a hitch yesterday when the group failed to turn up as expected at an airstrip in the north of the West African country.

Germany’s ZDF television said the hostages were exhausted after their desert ordeal, but reasonably healthy given the circumstances.

However, one of the tourists has developed diabetes, ZDF said.

The German Foreign Ministry remained cautious, saying it had no comment on the reports.

The crisis began in mid-February with the capture in separate groups of 32 European tourists in the Algerian desert.

In May, 17 hostages were set free in a raid on a desert hideout by Algerian security forces, but 15 others remained captive and are believed to have been taken to neighbouring Mali by their abductors.

One of them, a German woman, reportedly died of heat stroke and was buried by her abductors in June.

The German government later said the release of the tourists had reached its “final phase”.

“We are in the very important final phase,” spokesman Bela Anda said. “At this time I can only say that we are in a very important final phase.”

He declined to give further details, but Deputy Foreign Minister Juergen Chrobog arrived in Mali yesterday to take part in talks on the release.