Somalia: French hostage is shown on video

Thursday 10 June 2010 00:00 BST

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An Islamist group in Somalia has issued a video of a French hostage held in the Horn of Africa country. The video appeared on a website which said the hostage, Denis Allex, had a "message to the French people".

The video shows Mr Allex in an orange outfit with armed men behind him as he reads a statement in French.

Two French security advisers were kidnapped by the Shabaab rebel group in Somalia last year but one escaped. In September the group demanded an immediate end to French support for the Somali government and the withdrawal of African Union peacekeepers.

In the video, Mr Allex repeats the demands.

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