Niger’s President Mamadou Tandja on Wednesday afternoon received in audience the former Chinese hostage
Posted by African Press International on July 20, 2007
Niamey (Niger) Niger’s President Mamadou Tandja on Wednesday afternoon received in audience the former Chinese hostage, Zhang Guohua, freed Sunday following his abduction by rebels of the Movement of Niger People for Justice (MNJ) in the north of the country, a source close to the Chinese embassy in Niamey told APA Thursday.
Tandja declared that this is an isolated incident that cannot undermine relations between China and Niger”, says Chinese Ambassador to Niger Chen Gonglai, who attended the meeting.
According to him, President Mamadou Tandja is convinced that “the friendly co-operation between the two countries in the various fields will be strengthened”, adding that the head of state “attached a particular attention to the rescue of the Chinese hostage”.
“We commend all those who contributed to the release of our compatriot”, the Chinese diplomat told reporters.
Deputy managing director of the mining company of Agelik, a subsidiary of the China Nuclear Engineering Construction Corporation Group, Zahang Guohua was kidnapped on 6 June on the uranium-bearing site of Teguidan Tessoum, 950 km north, in the region of Agadez.
The MNJ is upset that Chinese companies working in the mining sector in Niger “do not employ local people and invest in basic facilities”.
The abduction of the Chinese national is only “a warning and the MNJ would not demand ransom or mistreat its hostages”, the movement notes.
The MNJ, which claims a status of rebel movement, calls for a better implementation of the 1995 peace accords that put an end to the Tuareg revolt in the 1990s, particularly the clauses providing for their social and economic reintegration and the provision of jobs to the locals by mining companies.
Released on 15 July, Zhang arrived in Niamey, Niger’s capital, on the same day.
Published by Korir, APA * APN africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 +47 6300 2525 source.apa
