Tourist group kidnapped in southern Egypt

A tourist group that included five Italian and five German travellers was kidnapped at a remote area near Aswan, in southern Egypt, and officials believe that the group may have been taken to neighbouring Sudan.

The travel group also includes one Romanian tourist and four Egyptians, was taken captive 425 miles south of Cairo, outside of Aswan. Officials say that the circumstances surrounding the abduction are unknown.

An official, speaking on behalf of the Egyptian government, confirmed that the kidnapping occurred at a remote location not far from the Egypt-Sudan border. “We don’t know yet who did this and we don’t know the whereabouts of the tourists,” he added.

Another government official commented that the group may have been taken across the border into Sudan, where it might be more difficult to organize their release.

Since the late 1990s, there have been virtually no reports of violence against tourists, either in the Nile Valley or around Aswan, in the south of the country. At that time, violence perpetrated by Islamist militants was quickly put down the then-president Hosni Mubarak.

In 1997, 58 foreign tourists were killed by militants in Luxor, the ancient temple site that lies to the north of Aswan. To the north, the popular tourist resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh resort on the Red Sea and those on the Sinai peninsula have been subject to repeated threats and bombings.

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