France’s defence minister said Monday there was “every reason to believe” French hostages being held in the Sahel were still alive, while there was “no proof” that two top militants had been killed in Mali.
The remarks came amid fears for the lives of French hostages in the area following reports over the weekend that Chadian troops had killed Al-Qaeda-linked leaders Abdelhamid Abou Zeid and Mokhtar Belmokhtar in northern Mali.
Speaking about the hostages, Le Drian told France 2 television: “As we speak, there is every reason to believe they are alive.”
Abou Zeid was believed to have been holding four
French citizens kidnapped in Niger in 2010, but the French army’s chief of staff, Admiral Edouard Guillaud, on Monday said that could not be confirmed.