French hostages ask government to respond to al-Qaeda demands
Four French hostages, kidnapped by al-Qaeda terrorists in Niger last year, have called on their government to respond to the militant group's demands that France withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, DPA reported.
In a message posted Wednesday on Islamist websites, a 3-minute video shows pictures of the hostages kneeling at gunpoint next to masked men.
Each give the same audio message calling on President Nicolas Sarkozy to respond to al-Qaeda's demands.
The four hostages were among seven people kidnapped on September 16 near the city of Arlit, in northern Niger. The other three were released in February.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the North African affiliate of the terrorist network, claimed responsibility for the hostage taking.
