Attempts to secure the release of 11 tourists kidnapped in the Western Desert have yet to bear fruit, reports Sophia Ibrahim Mystery still surrounds the disappearance on Friday of 11 European tourists and eight Egyptians abducted while on a Sahara desert safari and taken to northwest Sudan. The identities of the masked, armed kidnappers have not been revealed though their demands are known -- a ransom of up to $15 million dollars. According to Agence France Presse, an Egyptian security official, who asked for his name to be withheld expressed hope that "the drama will be resolved in a matter of a day or two". The kidnapping occurred in the remote southwest corner of Egypt, near the Libyan and Sudanese borders, as the tourists were visiting Gilf Al-Kebir, an isolated plateau famed for its prehistoric cave paintings. Best known as the Cave of the Swimmers, which featured in the 1996 film The English Patient, it contains 10,000-year-old rock paintings of animals and swimming figures. Ibrahim El-Saber Abdel-Rahim, the owner of Aegyptus tour company and who was also taken hostage, alerted his German wife to the plight of the group when he called by satellite phone, telling her that the group had been approached by armed men, who appeared "African", as they were setting up their tents. Abdel-Rahim and his wife have spoken several times since, and it is believed that negotiations with the kidnappers were being conducted via Abdel-Rahim's phone. Few visitors make the trek to Gilf Al-Kebir, which lies 885 kilometres southwest of Cairo. Bigger than Delaware, it is one of the most arid places on Earth. According to the Aegyptus website, the company's expedition to Gilf Al-Kebir takes 15 days: "The adventure in the deep desert begins with the jeeps leaving Dakhla oasis for Abu Ballas, then heads south to the Great Sand Sea and on to the Gilf itself." The itinerary includes "Wadi Mashi, where we camp at the so called Pyramids... descending the Gilf Al-Kebir plateau we continue to Wadi Sura with the famous Cave of Swimmers then leaving the Gilf Al-Kebir head south to the massive plateau and pass by Peter and Paul Mountains -- ancient volcanoes considered a geologists' paradise." "Then the group reaches Gebel Uweinat, at Karkur Talh [Acacia Gorge], an ancient place where herders would water their livestock after erratic rains. Karkur Talh is the largest valley of the mountain." It was while setting up camp at Karkur Talh that the group went missing, according to Minister of Tourism Zoheir Garrana. Though the abduction occurred on Friday it was not made public until Monday when the Italian Foreign Ministry announced that a number of its nationals had been kidnapped. The Egyptian authorities subsequently confirmed that five Germans, five Italians and one Romanian were missing, along with eight Egyptians. Two members of the Italian group, all of whom come from the Turin area, are over 70. Official statements were initially confused. Soon after the kidnap had been made public Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit told reporters in New York that all the tourists have been released. He was quickly contradicted by Egyptian government spokesman Magdi Radi, who hours later confirmed that they were still being held captive. Amid such conflicting reports officials have remained consistent over one aspect of the abductions: the kidnappings are not connected to any terrorist group but are the work of criminals seeking the payment of a ransom. Garrana announced that Egypt was not involved in direct talks with the kidnappers, only for the Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali Youssef to tell journalists in Khartoum that the "Egyptian government is now holding talks with the kidnappers to secure a safe and quick release of hostages." Youssef added that the group of hostages were all well and alive. The German government is reported to have been in contact with the kidnappers since the hostages were taken, and their whereabouts is now known. "They are in the desert of northwest Sudan about 15 miles (25 kilometres) from the Egyptian border," says Youssef. He denied reports by news agencies suggesting that Sudan had initially planned to attack the kidnappers and free the hostages by force. "There is no intention to attack the site. We all agree that a quick and safe release of the hostages is our top priority." Sudanese military intelligence is cooperating with an Egyptian intelligence team now in Sudan in an attempt to secure the release of the tourists. The incident, say security analysts, has drawn attention to the porous nature of Egypt's southern borders. Former head of State Security Police General Fouad Allam argues that while the incident itself is exceptional, it has highlighted the urgent need to upgrade security in the south. "There must be a plan to protect the southern borders and close any breaches," he said. The uninhabited region is a crossroads for ethnic African tribesmen -- including drug smugglers -- from Libya, Sudan and Chad.
