Libya appeared at odds with Sudan and Egypt on Friday over the whereabouts of 11 European tourists and eight Egyptians kidnapped a week ago in a desert area of southwest Egypt.
“With research operations now finished, we can confirm that the hostages and their abductors are not in Libya,” a senior Libyan official said on condition of anonymity.
Both Egyptian and Sudanese officials said earlier on Friday that the hostages were now in Libya.
“The kidnappers took them across the Libyan frontier by vehicle. They are still there, according to our contacts,” said Ali Yousuf, head of protocol at the Sudanese foreign ministry.
“We are watching the region closely and Sudan is doing everything possible to help the efforts to ensure their liberation,” he added.
Taken hostage on Sept. 19 during a off-road vehicle safari, the hostages were first moved to Sudan by their kidnappers, whose nationality is unknown.
Sudan said on Thursday that the group had been transferred to Libya, about 15km from the border in the Jebel Uweinat region.
Jebel Uweinat is a 1,900m plateau roughly 30km in diameter near where Sudan, Egypt and Libya meet.
“They are still in Libya. We have no other news,” an Egyptian security official said earlier on condition of anonymity.
The hostages are 11 tourists — five Italians, five Germans and one Romanian — plus eight Egyptians — two guides, four drivers, a border guard and the organiser of the safari.
The kidnappers have demanded that Germany take charge of payment of an US$8.8 million) ransom, an Egyptian security official said on Thursday.
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