kidnappings

There were 6 people kidnapped in Mali last month. They were all taken from far north of where I live. But these were the first ones kidnapped from in town, so it seems that Al-Qaeda is becoming even more of a threat.
The first 2 were Frenchmen taken in the night from their hotel room in Hombori on November 24th. On the 25th there were 4 men taken from a restaurant in Timbuktu: a German, a South African, a Swede, and a Dutchman. The German man refused to cooperate with the kidnappers to get in the truck and was shot and killed outside the restaurant.

I am glad that I had the chance to go to Timbuktu last year because it might be impossible for me as a white foreign person to go there from now on. It took around 20 hours of traveling last year for us to get to Timbuktu, so it seems far enough away that I feel safe where I am.

Here is an article about the kidnappings:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45437035/ns/world_news-europe/t/witness-european-killed-kidnapped-mali/

Here is a newer article regarding the arrests of suspects from the first kidnapping:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16156458


Heres one that talks about the kidnappings hurting tourism:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-57343312-503543/timbuktu-al-qaeda-kidnappings-hurt-mali-tourism/
I found a couple points in this particularly interesting:

"The number of tourists visiting Timbuktu had drastically decreased in recent years. In 2006, 45,000 tourists visited the city, the number fell to 6,000 in 2009 to a meager 492 in the first quarter of 2011, according to statistics published by the Malian Press Agency in November."

It also says that with Mali being one of the 10 poorest countries in the world and not having much for natural resources, it has greatly depended on its tourism industry for revenue.

I pray that the hostages will be unharmed and soon released.