Bamako - Malian soldiers were drafted in Friday to hunt for a missing Frenchman, apparently kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in the lawless north of the country, the government said.
"Military and security forces are now engaged in the search," the internal security ministry said in a statement a day after the man identified as Peter Camatte was abducted from his hotel.
The incident occurred in Menake in the Sahel zone of northern Mali more than 1 500 kiklometres from the capital where Tuareg rebels, Al-Qaeda militants and all kinds of traffickers roam freely.
A local council member told AFP that the Frenchman had been kidnapped by three men carrying guns.
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In June the group announced it had killed British tourist Edwin Dyer In recent years, several Western nationals have been kidnapped in neighbouring Niger or in Tunisia and brought to northern Mali.
With the exception of one British hostage killed in June, all were released. According to observers, ransoms were paid in all cases but the governments concerned vehemently deny this.
A Malian government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP Thursday the government was "doing everything we can to ensure he will quickly regain his freedom."
In the Sahel region Tuareg rebels and Islamic militants -- who claim to belong to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) -- roam freely between Mali and its neighbouring countries.
Late in 2008 and early this year two Canadian diplomats and four European tourists were kidnapped in the region. They were later transferred to the custody of AQIM. In April, the two Canadians and two female tourists were released, after negotiations with the AQIM militants.
In June the group announced it had killed British tourist Edwin Dyer. His fellow hostage, Werner Greiner from Switzerland, was released in July.
Camatte, also known as Pierre Karmat, settled in Menake in 2008 where he leads a non-governmental organisation dedicated to fighting malaria in the region, the government statement said. - AFP
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