Gunmen kidnap seven French tourists in Cameroon

DAKAR (Reuters) - Gunmen kidnapped seven French nationals early on Tuesday in northern Cameroon near the border with Nigeria, Radio France International reported, the first time Westerners have been taken hostage in the region.

The risk of attacks on French nationals and interests in Africa has risen since France sent forces into Mali last month to help oust Islamist rebels occupying the country's north.

A spokeswoman at the French embassy in the Cameroon capital Yaounde confirmed a kidnapping had taken place, but declined to give further details.

Without citing sources, Radio France International said seven French citizens, including children, were abducted by armed men on motorbikes and were being taken towards Nigeria.

Eight French citizens are already being held in West Africa's Sahel region by al Qaeda-affiliated groups.

Cameroon Information Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary said he could not confirm the kidnapping report for now. The French foreign ministry said it was checking the information.

The tourists were abducted at around 7 a.m. in a village about 10 km (six miles) from the Nigerian border near the Waza national park and Lake Chad in the extreme north of Cameroon where Westerners often go for holidays.

It was the first case of foreigners being seized in the mostly Muslim north of the central African country.

Seven foreigners were snatched from the compound of Lebanese construction company Setraco in northern Nigeria's Bauchi state early on Sunday, and al Qaeda-linked Ansaru took responsibility.

Northern Nigeria is plagued by attacks and kidnappings by Islamist groups. Ansaru, which rose to prominence only in recent months, has also claimed the kidnapping in December of a French national who is still missing.

It said in a statement that kidnappings were driven by "the transgression and atrocities done to the religion of Allah by the European countries in many places, such as Afghanistan and Mali."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/least-five-french-nationals-kidnapped-cameroon-radio-133810406.html

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