PARIS, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- France says it rejects demands by an al-Qaida group in Africa that it negotiate with Osama bin Laden for the release of five French hostages and two others.
The seven hostages, including one Togolese and one Madagascan, were seized Sept. 16 in raids targeting two French companies involved at a uranium mine in northern Niger, the BBC reported.
In an audio recording believed to have been made by Abdelmalek Droukdel, leader of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, he said France should "hasten and take your soldiers out of Afghanistan according to a specific timetable that you announce officially."
"Any form of negotiations on [the hostage] issue in the future will be done with no-one other than our Sheik Osama bin Laden ... and according to his terms," he said.
In response, French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said France would not let its policy be dictated from outside.
Calling for troop withdrawals was a traditional demand, but the reference to bin Laden was new, analysts said.
France was "doing all in its power for the hostages, wherever they are, to be freed safe and sound," Alliot-Marie said.
