France : Abducted aid workers in Yemen freed

Three French aid workers held hostage in Yemen since late May have been freed, said a French government statement released early on Monday. The three humanitarian aid workers, including two women and a man, had been working in Yemen since 1998 before being abducted in the southeastern province of Hadramout on May 28. The statement from the president's office said French President Nicolas Sarkozy thanked the Sultan of Oman and the Omanese authorities for their "crucial" help, as well as those who contributed to the resolution of the hostage problem. However, it did not elaborate on how the hostage issue was resolved. Yemen has long been plagued by kidnappings of foreigners by powerful tribesmen to seek ransom or press the government to meet their demands, including releasing jailed clansmen.