UN Hostage released in West Africa.

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UN Flag over der Paschen Hof Farm.

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uploaded by Uwe Paschen

By, Uwe Paschen.

 The U.N. news centre confirms the release of Robert H. Fowler and Louis Guay abducted and held Hostage in Niger since last December 14th 2008, when they where kidnapped 40 km of this country Capital City Niamey along with another UN staff that was released earlier.

 This was a joint effort of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. There release was know to happen already a week ago, however no publications where made in order to avoid jeopardising this deal.

 At the same time a peace deal has been reached between the Government in Niamey and the MNJ force of the Tuaregs in the North fighting for Justice and a stop to the exploitation and pollution of their environment due to the Uranium mining in the Air mountain.

The Government of Niger and the MNJ are still negotiating in Libya through the intermediary of the Libyan Government. The MNJ has however always claimed to have nothing to do with the abduction of the UN envoys in Niger and seems to have facilitated and helped as well in their release.

The question does remain though who did really kidnap the UN envoy. The official version seems to be for now, that some Al-Quaida faction did so.  However, this is still not clear at this time.

The Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki-moon did express his gratitude to all the Countries involved and especially to Canada for their role in the safe release of the Canadian UN diplomats abducted in Niger last Year.

 The Happy end for the UN envoys does not solve the plea of the Tuaregs though, whose area is still contaminated by Radioactive poisoning and being exploited with them not having any say nor input in the matter. Moreover, who did actually kidnap the UN envoys is still not known for certain.

This Nightmare that now seems to be over for the UN envoys at least still has a great number of open questions to be answered and unresolved issues to be dealt with.

Many thanks go to Blue Crush for her input and courtesy. Much appreciated.

 Sources, past coverage of the event and related news links, below.

 http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=30568&Cr=robert+fowler&Cr1=

http://m-n-j.blogspot.com/

http://www.republicain-niger.com/index.asp?affiche=Accueil.asp

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/one-un-hostage-niger-released-no-word-fowler-and-guay

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/has-canadian-un-envoy-been-killed-or-kidnapped-and-whom

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/canadian-u-n-envoy-has-been-kidnapped-niger-updated-4

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/niger-war-what-beneath-desert

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/10-poorest-countries-planet

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/end-tuaregs-niger-chad-mali-and-cameroon-algeria-and-libya

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/democracy-under-fire-within-niger-demonstration

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/world-bank-praising-niger-government

http://my.nowpublic.com/world/niger-state-revenue-26-and-poverty-32

See also Niger-1.com