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Yemen tribal leaders start mediation with French woman’s kidnappers

Tribal leaders in Yemen have started mediating between the kidnappers of a French aid worker and her translator and local leaders of Shia Huthi militias. Isabelle Prime’s father Jean-Noël on has appealed to them release his daughter.

Sanaa residents watch Huthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi on television
Sanaa residents watch Huthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi on television Reuters/Mohamed al-Sayaghi
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Although French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius on Wednesday said that nobody had claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s kidnapping of Prime and Sherine Makkaoui, tribal sources told Reuters news agency on Friday that mediation had begun.

Jean-Noël Prime on Thursday appealed to the kidnappers to “show some humanity” and release his daughter and her translator “as soon as possible”.

“I’ve been living a nightmare for two days,” he told the AFP news agency.

“Isabelle loved Yemen and wanted to fulfil her commitment to it even in difficult conditions,” he said and he thanked the news media for “reporting to France and the world the feelings this event has given rise to”.

Isabelle Prime, who was captured along with Makkaoui by men dressed as police officers, had intended to leave the country “in the next few days”, her employer, Francisco Alaya said.
 

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