Attempts fail to rescue two French citizens kidnapped in Yemen

A Yemeni source announced on Wednesday in Sanaa the failure of a third attempt made by tribal chiefs to release two French citizens who were kidnapped on August 20.

AFP quoted the same sources as saying the mediation failed because of the persistence of the kidnappers to maintain a direct dialogue with the Yemeni authorities.

Members of the Bani Jaber tribe kidnapped the two French citizens: the official in charge of teaching the French language at the French embassy in Sanaa and his wife, a geology expert.

The tribe is demanding that the Yemeni authorities offer it four agricultural tractors, recruit some of 200 its young men into the army and pay the tribe financial compensation for the floods damaged their region in 1996.

The two French citizens are being held in the Sarwaj area, 140 km east of Sanaa, which is currently cordoned by the police.