It's all the rage John Q.
| Submit your comments on this article |
| Arabia |
| Swiss tourist kidnaps in Yemen |
| 2005-11-21 |
| Local tribesmen have abducted two Swiss travellers in Yemen, the Swiss foreign ministry has confirmed. The Swiss embassy in Saudi Arabia said that negotiations were underway to free the man and the woman, who were kidnapped in the mountainous Maarib province. "The Swiss consul in Yemen is being kept informed by the local authorities," said Dominik Alder, Switzerland's ambassador in Riyadh, who also oversees Swiss interests in the neighbouring republic. Alder was not able to say who was responsible for the kidnapping, nor if a ransom demand had been made. Lars Knuchel, a spokesman at the Swiss foreign ministry in Bern, told swissinfo that the case concerned "a man and a woman of Swiss nationality". Nobody at the Yemeni embassy in Geneva was available to comment when contacted by swissinfo. A Yemeni government official told the Reuters news agency that the tourists were taken in the oil-producing Maarib province east of the capital Sana'a. He declined to give more details. Tribal sources in the area said the kidnappers' leader wanted to secure the release of his brother who was jailed in Sana'a last month on suspicion of stealing a car. Tourists have often been seized by armed tribal groups in Yemen, a poor country at the tip of the Arabian peninsula where central government control is weak in many areas. They are usually released unharmed after negotiations. The Swiss foreign ministry warns tourists of "important risks" when travelling to Yemen. The ministry website says that a number of foreign tourists and businessmen have been kidnapped in recent years, occasionally resulting in their deaths. The ministry recommends travelling within the country only with local guides. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #7 When you want to get away from the cows, chocolate, grass, civility and electricity, Yemen's got to be on your list. It's a culture exchange thingy Yemenis to Switzerland for>> yo'dels. Swissies to Yemen for>> ululululs. |
| Posted by: Red Dog 2005-11-21 22:31 |
| #6 If they get back, that is if. I am sure the Travel Agency will get a nice legal notice from the couple's lawyers (who are lining up right now to represent them.) I am sure these are not the brightest Sweeds alive. You won't even have to ask an Norwegian for that opinion. |
| Posted by: Mahou Sensei Negi-bozu 2005-11-21 19:59 |
| #5 The married Swiss couple were travelling through Maarib province on a package tour with a local guide and driver when they were kidnapped. Speaking by telephone from an undisclosed location in Maarib province, the Swiss man, who refused to identify himself, told swissinfo: "We are being well treated, and are now waiting for the issue to be resolved and refuse to comment any further until we are back in our hotel." The couple were kidnapped while exploring the country as part of a package tour booked through the Zurich travel agency, Holiday Maker. The owner of the travel agency, Plinio Raselli, told swissinfo that the company's website did not inform customers of the danger of travelling in Yemen. "We have been offering Yemen packages for 15 years and this is the first time something like this has ever happened," said Raselli. They were kidnapped by a local man demanding the release of his teenage brother, who was apparently arrested three weeks ago for chewing the natural stimulant khat during the fasting season of Ramadan. SwissInfo |
| Posted by: SwissTex 2005-11-21 18:09 |
| #4 It's all the rage John Q. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-21 17:00 |
| #3 Why thanks Shipman and Seafarious, I had not considered Yemen this year. Somehow I overlooked it in the travel brochures. |
| Posted by: John Q. Citizen 2005-11-21 16:51 |
| #2 When you want to get away from the cows, chocolate, grass, civility and electricity, Yemen's got to be on your list. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-21 16:47 |
| #1 "Honey, will it be Atlantic City or Yemen this year?" "Oh, Yemen, I think. The rocky wastelands are said to be magnificent." "Hokay, Yemen it is." |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-11-21 15:51 |