Spanish hostage in Africa freed

Source: BBC

A Spanish woman kidnapped in West Africa last year has been freed, the Spanish government says.

There are unconfirmed reports that an Italian woman reportedly held by the same group has also been released.

Ms Gamez was seized in Mauritania last year and held by a militant group, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, in Mali. She and two male Spaniards - all aid workers - were snatched from a convoy by armed men on a road between the Mauritanian cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou on 29 November. The two men are still being held.

Spanish media reported recently that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb had demanded a ransom to release the hostages, and El Mundo newspaper alleged that the Spanish government was in the process of paying. Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said no ransom was paid for Ms Gamez. She said the release was the work of Spain's diplomats and intelligence services.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8559985.stm