Heli's still searching for 11 missing tourists in the SAHARA desert
GunsssR4ever
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Heli's still searching for 11 missing tourists in the SAHARA desert
Fears are growing for the safety of 11 European tourists missing for more than five weeks in the vast Sahara desert, according to diplomats in the Algerian capital.
No trace has been found of the six Germans, four Swiss and one Dutch national since they went missing on February 21 despite intense searches by the Algerian authorities, diplomatic sources said on Sunday.
Helicopters equipped with heat-seeking equipment have been used to search the remote and vast desert areas in case the missing and their vehicles have been buried in the sand, they said. But to no avail.
"It leaves us baffled and we are forced to consider all eventualities, even that they have been kidnapped even though for the time being we don't know why," one diplomat said.
The six Germans were travelling in two groups, one of four motorbikes, and the second comprising two bikes and including the Dutch national. They were at Djanet, about 1 500km southeast of Algiers and were travelling north to Ouargla, via Illizi about 100km north of Djanet.
The four Swiss were travelling in the opposite direction in a four-wheel drive vehicle heading south from Ouargla to Illizi close to the Algerian-Libyan border.
So far western embassies and travel companies involved in the search have found no explanation for the disappearances.
There has been no official comment on their fate.
"Eleven people with vehicles and all their stuff, that leaves traces. They can't just vanish into thin air," added the diplomat.
Numerous smuggling bands operate along the borders with Niger and Libya where the missing tourists were last seen.
These bands, as well as arms and drugs traffickers, have some ties to the armed Islamic group led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar who a few years ago forced the Paris-Dakar rally to reroute after launching several threats against it.
No trace has been found of the six Germans, four Swiss and one Dutch national since they went missing on February 21 despite intense searches by the Algerian authorities, diplomatic sources said on Sunday.
Helicopters equipped with heat-seeking equipment have been used to search the remote and vast desert areas in case the missing and their vehicles have been buried in the sand, they said. But to no avail.
"It leaves us baffled and we are forced to consider all eventualities, even that they have been kidnapped even though for the time being we don't know why," one diplomat said.
The six Germans were travelling in two groups, one of four motorbikes, and the second comprising two bikes and including the Dutch national. They were at Djanet, about 1 500km southeast of Algiers and were travelling north to Ouargla, via Illizi about 100km north of Djanet.
The four Swiss were travelling in the opposite direction in a four-wheel drive vehicle heading south from Ouargla to Illizi close to the Algerian-Libyan border.
So far western embassies and travel companies involved in the search have found no explanation for the disappearances.
There has been no official comment on their fate.
"Eleven people with vehicles and all their stuff, that leaves traces. They can't just vanish into thin air," added the diplomat.
Numerous smuggling bands operate along the borders with Niger and Libya where the missing tourists were last seen.
These bands, as well as arms and drugs traffickers, have some ties to the armed Islamic group led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar who a few years ago forced the Paris-Dakar rally to reroute after launching several threats against it.
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Many geographic locations in the world hold secrets for long periods of time. The most interesting is the Story of the "Lady Be Good" a B-24 Liberator that went down in the Sahara. Given the area and the political climate, this also may be another story someday.
GunsssR4ever
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17 Total missing now !
Six German tourists have disappeared in the Sahara Desert, bringing the number of Europeans who have vanished there without trace since the end of February to 17, the German Foreign Office in Berlin said on Monday.
The four men and two women were last heard from March 17 in southern Algeria. They were booked to cross the Mediterranean from the Tunisian capital Tunis to Genoa, Italy last Friday, but never showed up at the car ferry.
They were travelling in three vehicles. Some of the group had extensive experience of desert travel.
While mishaps are common in the desert, and the risks attract adventurers, the latest disappearance has raised fears of something more sinister and of a possible connection to the disappearances of three other tour parties with a total of 11 members in recent days.
Searches for the six Germans, four Swiss and one Dutch national missing for the past five weeks had produced no clues by Monday.
Berlin officials said the German embassy in Algiers was working on the latest case. The group's last sign of life was phone calls to friends and relatives from Tamanrasset, a town in southern Algeria.
The four men and two women were last heard from March 17 in southern Algeria. They were booked to cross the Mediterranean from the Tunisian capital Tunis to Genoa, Italy last Friday, but never showed up at the car ferry.
They were travelling in three vehicles. Some of the group had extensive experience of desert travel.
While mishaps are common in the desert, and the risks attract adventurers, the latest disappearance has raised fears of something more sinister and of a possible connection to the disappearances of three other tour parties with a total of 11 members in recent days.
Searches for the six Germans, four Swiss and one Dutch national missing for the past five weeks had produced no clues by Monday.
Berlin officials said the German embassy in Algiers was working on the latest case. The group's last sign of life was phone calls to friends and relatives from Tamanrasset, a town in southern Algeria.
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Now 21 missing !
Pse start searching when you fly over the desert guys and gals 
Four more tourists missing in Algeria
Berlin - Four more Germans are missing in the Sahara desert in Algeria, police in their home town said on Wednesday, raising to 21 the number of European tourists listed as missing in north African country since late February.
Authorities in the south western German city of Augsburg said the four - two men and two women - had left home on February 22 for a trip of several weeks.
They were last seen on March 8.
Sixteen of the 21 Europeans listed as missing in the Sahara are German, and the foreign ministry has issued a public notice warning against travel to the region.
Another group of six Germans, four men and two women touring the desert in three four-wheel-drive vehicles, were reported missing on Tuesday.
Their relatives said they were "very worried" as they had not had any word from them since a phone call on March 17.
On February 21, 11 European tourists - six Germans, four Swiss and a Dutch national - went missing in southern Algeria.
Bands of smugglers are known to roam Algeria's southern Sahara, where they traffic in contraband across the porous borders with Niger and Libya.
Some, as well as arms and drugs traffickers also operating in the area, are thought to have links to a group of Islamic extremists.
Four more tourists missing in Algeria
Berlin - Four more Germans are missing in the Sahara desert in Algeria, police in their home town said on Wednesday, raising to 21 the number of European tourists listed as missing in north African country since late February.
Authorities in the south western German city of Augsburg said the four - two men and two women - had left home on February 22 for a trip of several weeks.
They were last seen on March 8.
Sixteen of the 21 Europeans listed as missing in the Sahara are German, and the foreign ministry has issued a public notice warning against travel to the region.
Another group of six Germans, four men and two women touring the desert in three four-wheel-drive vehicles, were reported missing on Tuesday.
Their relatives said they were "very worried" as they had not had any word from them since a phone call on March 17.
On February 21, 11 European tourists - six Germans, four Swiss and a Dutch national - went missing in southern Algeria.
Bands of smugglers are known to roam Algeria's southern Sahara, where they traffic in contraband across the porous borders with Niger and Libya.
Some, as well as arms and drugs traffickers also operating in the area, are thought to have links to a group of Islamic extremists.
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German elite unit in Sahara search
Some fundamentalists operate in the region
Elite anti-terror personnel are among German investigators helping in the search for missing European tourists in Algeria.
Interior Minister Otto Schily said after a brief trip to Algiers that members of the GSG9 unit would not be involved in any operation to find the tourists but were there to "offer their advice in certain areas".
GSG9 are often used in hostage crises, most notably foiling the attempted hijack of a Lufthansa plane by the leftist militant Red Army Faction in the Somali capital Mogadishu in 1977.
Twenty-nine tourists, at least 15 of them German, have disappeared in the Sahara desert in the last few months.
Helicopters have been searching a huge area stretching from Ouargla in the north to the towns of Tamanrasset and Djanet in the far south of Algeria.
They use heat-seeking devices - capable of locating bodies and machines buried under sand.
Eight Austrian tourists were the latest group to be reported missing last week, when they failed to board a ferry in Tunisia as scheduled.
The German criminal investigation agency (BKA) and the Austrian Foreign Ministry have also sent officials to Algeria to work with local authorities.
Germany and Austria have issued travel warnings for Algeria, urging all their citizens to leave the country or contact their embassies.
Kidnap fears
The AFP news agency quoted a tourism professional in the region as saying that the Global Positioning by Satellite (GPS) system - which the tourists would have relied on - had not been working in the area for at least a week.
However, this would not explain the disappearance of some tourists in February.
Smugglers and drug traffickers are known to be active in the area around southern Algeria, near the borders with Niger and Libya, and there are fears the tourists may have been kidnapped.
The region has been relatively free of fundamentalist violence common to other parts of Algeria, but one group is known to operate there.
It is led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who is believed to have joined the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) - a hardline organisation with alleged links to al-Qaeda.
However, authorities have said that the travellers could also have experienced vehicle problems because of sand and extreme temperatures.
Tourists have been found dead in the Sahara desert in the past, usually stranded after their fuel has run out.
Elite anti-terror personnel are among German investigators helping in the search for missing European tourists in Algeria.
Interior Minister Otto Schily said after a brief trip to Algiers that members of the GSG9 unit would not be involved in any operation to find the tourists but were there to "offer their advice in certain areas".
GSG9 are often used in hostage crises, most notably foiling the attempted hijack of a Lufthansa plane by the leftist militant Red Army Faction in the Somali capital Mogadishu in 1977.
Twenty-nine tourists, at least 15 of them German, have disappeared in the Sahara desert in the last few months.
Helicopters have been searching a huge area stretching from Ouargla in the north to the towns of Tamanrasset and Djanet in the far south of Algeria.
They use heat-seeking devices - capable of locating bodies and machines buried under sand.
Eight Austrian tourists were the latest group to be reported missing last week, when they failed to board a ferry in Tunisia as scheduled.
The German criminal investigation agency (BKA) and the Austrian Foreign Ministry have also sent officials to Algeria to work with local authorities.
Germany and Austria have issued travel warnings for Algeria, urging all their citizens to leave the country or contact their embassies.
Kidnap fears
The AFP news agency quoted a tourism professional in the region as saying that the Global Positioning by Satellite (GPS) system - which the tourists would have relied on - had not been working in the area for at least a week.
However, this would not explain the disappearance of some tourists in February.
Smugglers and drug traffickers are known to be active in the area around southern Algeria, near the borders with Niger and Libya, and there are fears the tourists may have been kidnapped.
The region has been relatively free of fundamentalist violence common to other parts of Algeria, but one group is known to operate there.
It is led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who is believed to have joined the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) - a hardline organisation with alleged links to al-Qaeda.
However, authorities have said that the travellers could also have experienced vehicle problems because of sand and extreme temperatures.
Tourists have been found dead in the Sahara desert in the past, usually stranded after their fuel has run out.
GunsssR4ever
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Tourists rescued with Choppers
Austrian tourists rescued from kidnappers who held them hostage in the Sahara desert for almost three months told on Thursday of long marches and diminishing food rations during their captivity.
A relative of one described how they had been snatched from their captors in a helicopter raid by the Algerian army.
One said they had been well-treated by their kidnappers. "They said we had nothing to fear," Sabine Wintersteller, 41, told the Salzburger Nachtrichten newspaper.
Sometimes they had jostled members of the group or threatened them with their weapons but nothing more, she said.
"Some spoke French, others English and by the end we started to trust them. They also showed human characteristics".
Ten Austrians were among a group of 17 Europeans freed on Tuesday. Another 15 European tourists are still missing.
A relative of another hostage who did not want to be named said that the group had been rescued when helicopter-borne troops swooped and the hostages took cover near a cliff.
He said that the tourists had been held by armed Islamists and had been fed on a diet of boiled couscous, bread and dates two or three times a day.
Rations were cut
"They had just enough to live on, no more," he said, adding that towards the end rations were cut and for the last two days there was nothing to eat.
"If our captivity had lasted longer we would have started to get ill," Sabine Wintersteller said. "There were few mineral salts in our food and we were losing a lot because of the long marches," she added.
"We used to be woken at night by the kidnappers to walk for three or four hours in the desert so we would not be found by the Algerian army. During the final days (of captivity) we had to walk during the day as well and our shoes were in shreds."
"I hardly washed once in clean water," she said. "The women had to wear long ankle-length skirts. They gave us scraps of cloth to cover our faces and to have something to use during our periods."
Ms Wintersteller said that after her rescue by helicopter she had suffered from cramps, low blood pressure and trouble in talking. "I'm better now," she said after a night spent at home.
Five Germans and a Swede were freed with the 10 Austrians. Ten Germans, four Swiss and a Dutchman are still missing.
A relative of one described how they had been snatched from their captors in a helicopter raid by the Algerian army.
One said they had been well-treated by their kidnappers. "They said we had nothing to fear," Sabine Wintersteller, 41, told the Salzburger Nachtrichten newspaper.
Sometimes they had jostled members of the group or threatened them with their weapons but nothing more, she said.
"Some spoke French, others English and by the end we started to trust them. They also showed human characteristics".
Ten Austrians were among a group of 17 Europeans freed on Tuesday. Another 15 European tourists are still missing.
A relative of another hostage who did not want to be named said that the group had been rescued when helicopter-borne troops swooped and the hostages took cover near a cliff.
He said that the tourists had been held by armed Islamists and had been fed on a diet of boiled couscous, bread and dates two or three times a day.
Rations were cut
"They had just enough to live on, no more," he said, adding that towards the end rations were cut and for the last two days there was nothing to eat.
"If our captivity had lasted longer we would have started to get ill," Sabine Wintersteller said. "There were few mineral salts in our food and we were losing a lot because of the long marches," she added.
"We used to be woken at night by the kidnappers to walk for three or four hours in the desert so we would not be found by the Algerian army. During the final days (of captivity) we had to walk during the day as well and our shoes were in shreds."
"I hardly washed once in clean water," she said. "The women had to wear long ankle-length skirts. They gave us scraps of cloth to cover our faces and to have something to use during our periods."
Ms Wintersteller said that after her rescue by helicopter she had suffered from cramps, low blood pressure and trouble in talking. "I'm better now," she said after a night spent at home.
Five Germans and a Swede were freed with the 10 Austrians. Ten Germans, four Swiss and a Dutchman are still missing.
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what are all these tourists doing in camel jockey country anyway???its does not come as a big surprise that they get taken hostage. it is not for no reason that the oil companys use sterling( british version of exec.outcomes) to provide security.
traveling without an armed escort would be like playing with the lions balls with a very short stick!!
traveling without an armed escort would be like playing with the lions balls with a very short stick!!
