Two French oil workers abducted in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt (photo) over a month ago have been released, according to a French foreign ministry statement. No details were provided on the circumstances surrounding their release.
The rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released 10 hostages Thursday, handing 8 to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The group were among 18 captured on July 17.
Internet has played an important role in organising demonstrations for the liberation of Farc's hostages all around the world. Facebook and blogs helped monitor the movement and give feedback to participants.
Three German alpinists held hostage by Turkey's rebel Kurdish group PKK were freed on Sunday, after "army operations" were "tightening their grip". They had been seized on July 8 during a climb on Ararat in the Agri province.
Politician and ex-hostage Ingrid Betancourt will host a protest concert in Paris on Sunday against Colombia's rebel group FARC, which continues to hold hundreds of hostages. Pop star Shakira will be at the head of demonstrations in Colombia.
Millions of people, including pop star Shakira, will demonstrate across Colombia and in the rest of the world against the FARC rebel group. It continues to hold hundreds of hostages.
Colombia has launched an investigation over allegations that a Swiss hostage mediator, Jean-Pierre Gontard, paid 500,000 dollars to the FARC rebels. Fifteen hostages were released from the FARC earlier this month.
Colombia's FARC rebel group said they were betrayed by their own men in the rescue of 15 hostages on July 2, including French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three US defence contractors.
In a hostage situation when a ransom is demanded, is it a wise strategy to give in to those demands, or does it play into kidnappers' hands? A disputed claim of ransom paid to FARC in the rescue of Ingrid Betancourt has again raised the question.
Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro posted an Internet article urging the Colombian rebels to release the hundreds of hostages they had kidnapped, though he also advised them against laying down their weapons.
