Dalla Reuters:

Seventeen Missing Europeans Found Alive in Algeria
Wed May 14, 2003 03:34 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - A group of 17 European tourists, including 10 Austrians, six Germans and a Swede, who went missing in Algeria two months ago and were feared kidnapped have been found, the countries' foreign ministries said.
A total of 32 European tourists -- 16 Germans, 10 Austrians, four Swiss, a Dutchman and a Swede -- disappeared in late February and early March in a remote scenic desert region in southern Algeria famous for its ancient grave sites.

A further German was added to the list of 31 missing earlier this week. The fate of the other tourists was unclear. It was never established whether the missing Europeans were lost in the Algerian Sahara desert or kidnapped.

"I can confirm that a group of missing tourists, including six Germans, have been found in Algeria," a German Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

He added all six Germans were in good health and had been taken to the German embassy in Algiers.

"The Swede was found together with the group of six Germans," Swedish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kristina Ostergren said. "He is free."

Austria's Foreign Ministry said all 10 Austrian tourists who vanished two months ago had been freed.

"I am naturally very relieved that all of the Austrians appear to be well and that the hostage drama did not end in a bloody way," Franz Schausberger, governor of Austria's Salzburg province, said on Austrian radio.

He declined to give the source of his information about the Austrians, most of whom were from the Salzburg region.

The German Foreign Ministry spokesman said he could not give any details about the fate of any of the other missing tourists, who include 10 Germans.

The area the tourists were believed to be heading to is renowned for its archaeological sites, but also known for arms and drug smuggling and borders Libya, Mali and Niger.

Algerian authorities began searching the 772,300 square-mile Algerian Sahara for the tourists in March using thousands of soldiers and military aircraft.

Algeria is concerned a possible kidnapping will hurt the country's tourism industry which had been showing signs of recovery after years of bad publicity.

The oil-rich Maghreb nation is just getting back on its feet after a decade of violence where more than 100,000 people have been killed following the cancellation of general elections that radical Islamists were poised to win.