Nigerian Islamists threaten to kill kidnapped French family
- 11 years ago
Terror for a French family of seven.
On Monday, gunmen claiming to be from the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram released video threatening to kill a kidnapped French family, if authorities there and in nearby Cameroon don't release their imprisoned comrades.
"They want the liberation of their brothers in Cameroon and their women imprisoned in Nigeria."
Reuters is unable to verify the content of the video but one of the apparent kidnappers read a message directed, in part, at French President Francois Hollande.
SOUNDBITE: Masked man reading out from paper and saying (Arabic):
"We are fighting the war he has declared on Islam everywhere, and so he knows that we are present everywhere to rescue our brothers."
In Paris, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said his ministry is still trying to verify the video, saying the family is probably being held in Nigeria.
The incident highlights the risk to French citizens in Africa after Paris sent thousands of troops into Mali last month to oust Muslim militants.
On Monday, gunmen claiming to be from the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram released video threatening to kill a kidnapped French family, if authorities there and in nearby Cameroon don't release their imprisoned comrades.
"They want the liberation of their brothers in Cameroon and their women imprisoned in Nigeria."
Reuters is unable to verify the content of the video but one of the apparent kidnappers read a message directed, in part, at French President Francois Hollande.
SOUNDBITE: Masked man reading out from paper and saying (Arabic):
"We are fighting the war he has declared on Islam everywhere, and so he knows that we are present everywhere to rescue our brothers."
In Paris, French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said his ministry is still trying to verify the video, saying the family is probably being held in Nigeria.
The incident highlights the risk to French citizens in Africa after Paris sent thousands of troops into Mali last month to oust Muslim militants.