SANAA, January 15, 2012 (AFP)
SANAA, January 15, 2012 (AFP)
Yemeni tribesmen have kidnapped a Norwegian citizen in the capital Sana’a in a bid to pressure the government into releasing a member of their clan from prison, a tribal source said on Sunday.
“A Norwegian was kidnapped last night from Sana’a and taken to the eastern province of Marib,” the source told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that the tribe wants “one of their tribesmen to be released from prison.”
The kidnapping comes two months after the release of a French aid worker and her Yemeni driver and translator who were abducted in the country’s restive southern region on Nov. 22.
All three were released unharmed two days later.
On Nov. 14, three French hostages kidnapped by Al-Qaeda militants were also released after five months in captivity.
Tribes in Yemen often kidnap foreigners to pressure the authorities into making concessions. More than 200 foreigners have been abducted over the past 15 years, with almost all of them later freed unharmed.
