Italy on Tuesday urged Yemeni authorities not to use force in an
Italian hostage stand-off in the Middle East country, according to
Italian News Agency ANSA.
Amid reports of a troop build-up near the kidnappers' hide-out,
Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini asked Italy's ambassador
to get into immediate contact with the Yemeni authorities to make
sure no action was taken that might place the hostages' lives in
jeopardy.
Italian ambassador, Mario Boffo, reported back that the Yemeni
government had no intention of forcing the kidnappers' hand.
Yemeni government envoys are flanking the tribal chiefs in
efforts to free the Italians.
One envoy said Tuesday there had been "positive" developments in
the talks.
The three women and two men were abducted on New Year's Day in
the northern Marib province as they visited archaeological sights
in Serwah, some 120 miles north of the capital Sana'a.
The kidnappers have threatened to kill their Italian hostages if
they came under attack from the Yemeni military.
According to Yemen's prime minister, Abdel Qader Bajammal,
national security forces have surrounded the kidnappers, who have
been demanding the release of eight members of their tribe
currently in jail for murder.
According to the tour operator which organised their holiday in
Yemen, the hostages are Piergiorgio Gamba, Maura Tonetto and
Camilla Romigni, from Padua, and Enzo Bottillo and Patrizia Rossi,
from Milan.
(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2006)
