FACTBOX-Foreigners held in Africa

Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:02pm GMT

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Feb 24 (Reuters) - French aid worker Pierre Camatte was transfered by Mali security forces to Bamako on Wednesday morning after his release Tuesday by al Qaeda hostage-takers, a diplomatic source told Reuters.

Camatte was kidnapped on Nov. 25 after visiting the town of Tinderman, officials said. He was released after Mali freed four Islamist prisoners that al Qaeda had demanded released by Feb. 22. [ID:nLDE61N16A]

Below are details about foreigners held throughout Africa:

* CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

November 2009 - A group calling itself the African Free Eagles said on Nov. 30 it had kidnapped three French aid workers and threatened to kill them unless French authorities began negotiations. One of the aid workers, Laurent Maurice who was taken hostage in Chad, was freed earlier this month. But the other two, who were seized in the Central African Republic (CAR) and worked for French-based aid agency Triangle, are still being held.

* MAURITANIA

November 2009 - Spaniards Albert Vilalta, Alicia Gamez and Roque Pascual disappeared on Nov. 29 from a convoy run by a Barcelona-based humanitarian aid organisation to deliver computers and other equipment to poor communities. Continued...

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