Niger: Rebels Claim They Hold Canadian Envoy

A rebel group has said that its members seized Robert Fowler and three others during a commando operation in the Tilabery region.

The Front des Forces de Redressement (FFR) used its website to announce that its members have abducted Robert Fowler, The United Nations special envoy tp Niger. The group's statement only mentions Fowler but other victims are believed to include Fowler's Canadian aide, Louis Guay, and their local driver. The vehicle that was transporting Fowler and the others was found abandoned about 50 kilometres northeast of Niamey, Niger's capital, on Sunday night. The group's claim has not been independently confirmed. The FFR say Fowler was doing well and would soon be transferred to a secure location. The abduction, apparently, targeted diplomats who support the Niger government led by President Mamadou Tandja, whom the FFR has accused of "ethnocide." The hostages were taken to send a message to Canada, which the group claim is providing Niger's government with arms used against local people. "Our consular officials both in the capital of Niger as well as in other regional offices are actively engaged with both local and UN officials," Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said in a statement. "I want to assure family, friends and all Canadians that we will do everything we can to resolve the situation successfully."