Tourist Hostages Transferred To Libya, Expected To Be Released

France-Press Agency confirmed the transfer of the tourist hostages to Libya according to a Sudanese official”s announcement on Thursday, September 25, that the kidnappers of the 19 hostages, 11 European tourists and eight Egyptian escorts, in the Egyptian Desert, had transferred them from Sudan to Libya.

 
Ali Yusuf, Protocol official in the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the France-Press Agency, “Both kidnappers and tourists have transferred to Libya, around 13 to 15 km away from the border,” adding that “all the hostages are in good health, according to our information, and we are monitoring the situation.”

 
The group of tourists consists of five Germans, five Italians, and a Romanian in addition to eight Egyptians who accompanied them on a Safari trip to a desert region south of Egypt where pre-historic traces can be found.

 
Yusuf said, “The group is about to head towards Libya in cars,” adding that the “The Germans are keeping contact with the kidnappers, and Sudan is keeping close contact with the Egyptian, Italian, German and Romanian authorities.” He added.

 
An Egyptian security source had confirmed earlier that the kidnappers of the 19 hostages called on Germany to bear the responsibility of paying the ransom of six million Euros ($8.8 million) to free the hostages.

 
The official, who requested that his identity not be revealed, said: “They have requested that the German government be solely responsible for paying the six million Euros ($8.8 million) to free the hostages.”

 
In his statements to Ikhwanweb, Diaa Rashwan (an expert in Al-Ahram Center for Political Studies) expected the release of the hostages, as Libya has good relations with Italy as well as Egypt.