CAIRO — After more than eight months, two Austrian hostages have
been freed by the Al Qaida network in North Africa.
Officials said the Austrians were released in Mali by the Al Qaida
Organization in the Islamic Maghreb, Middle East Newsline reported. The officials said Wolfgang Ebner and Andrea
Kloiber were transferred by mediators to the Mali government to a spot near
the border with Algeria and Mauritania.
"They are both under the protection of Mali's army and are on the way to
the capital Bamako," Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said.
On Oct. 31, Mali has also confirmed the release of Ebner and Ms.
Kloiber, abducted during a visit to Tunisia in February 2008. Officials said
the two Austrians were kidnapped by AQIM and taken to Algeria and then Mali.
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AQIM had demanded a ransom of more than $8 million, officials said. They
said Austria decided to negotiate with the Al Qaida abductors rather than
allow Algeria to search for the European hostages.
It was not clear whether Algeria and Tunisia also fulfilled AQIM
demands. At one point, Al Qaida demanded the release of 10 members held in
the two North African countries. Mali has denied receiving any ransom for Al
Qaida.
AQIM kept its Austrian captives in the rebel-held area of northern Mali,
officials said. They said AQIM had warned that any military operation would
result in the execution of the two hostages.
Officials said AQIM has sought to abduct Western and Algerian nationals
in the network's attempt to undermine regional governments and raise money.
They said AQIM garnered millions of dollars in ransoms as a result of
abductions over the last 20 months.
"The conditions of detention were harsh," Ebner said. "It was not at all
easy, but we were treated normally."