| |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
BEIJING : China said Tuesday it was doing everything possible to secure the release of seven fishermen abducted off Cameroon and had asked for help from other countries involved in the rescue effort.
"The Chinese foreign ministry and the embassies in relevant countries... have been working to rescue the Chinese fishermen in an all-round way," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.
"We urge relevant countries to make all-out efforts for the rescue and ensure the safety of the Chinese fishermen."
The seven were kidnapped early Friday in international waters off the restive Bakassi peninsula in southwest Cameroon.
They were working for a Chinese fishing company, Qin said.
A Chinese diplomat in the Cameroon capital Yaounde said Monday that the seven kidnap victims were "in good health" and had not been mistreated.
The kidnappers, who call themselves the Africa Marine Commando, have upped their ransom demand to 25,000 dollars, a Cameroonian source close to the matter said. Qin did not mention any ransom demand.
The resource-rich Bakassi region has been at the centre of a territorial dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon for 15 years.
It was handed back to Cameroon in August 2008 after the International Court of Justice ruled in Cameroon's favour.
The marshy region has recently witnessed a spike in rebel attacks. Ten oil sector workers including seven French were kidnapped there in late 2008 by a group calling itself the Bakassi Freedom Fighters.
China had a total of 768,000 workers abroad at the end of February, 57,000 more than a year ago, official data showed. Separate figures for workers in Africa were not available.
In October 2008, nine Chinese oil workers were kidnapped in Sudan. Five of them were killed and four were freed.
- AFP /ls
|
