MOGADISHU (Thomson Financial) - An award-winning French cameraman, Gwenlaoen Le Gouil, was abducted Sunday by unknown kidnappers in Bosasso, northern Somalia, where he was reporting on illegal immigrants, government and humanitarian sources said.
'I can tell you that he was abducted this morning at around 11:00 am (0800 GMT). The journalist arrived in Bosasso yesterday (Saturday),' a humanitarian worker told Agence France-Presse, asking to remain anonymous.
He said Le Gouil was in Bosasso to do a report on the trafficking of illegal immigrants who risk their lives crossing the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen.
Puntlang government officials and elders mediators were pushing to secure the release of the cameraman from the militia that has asked for a ransom of 70,000 usd.
'We have seen the journalist and he is doing well. He is around Shimbiro and Mararo area,' about 15 kilometres east of Bosasso, said Abdihadir Ibrahim Haji, an elder close to mediators.
'A translator with the journalist, Jama Hussein, has been released and brought information that they are asking for 70,000 dollars as ransom,' said Awale Jama, who is working with the mediators.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the government was in contact with the suspected kidnappers.
Le Gouil was co-winner this year of the French journalism Albert Londres prize for a video report on the assassination of 17 humanitarian workers in Sri Lanka.
Bosasso is the economic capital of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in northeast Somalia, which has been wracked by civil war since 1991. tf.TFN-Europe_newsdesk@thomson.com hjp COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.