"Al Qaeda" has demanded 45 million euros in ransom for nine hostages in Algeria and Mali. The hostages consist of two European employees of humanitarian organizations as well as seven Algerian diplomats, Voice of Russia reported.
An Italian and Spaniard were captured last October at Tindouf a camp for refugees from Western Sahara in Algeria. They had been working for an international humanitarian organization.
The Algerian diplomats were taken hostage in April in Gao in northern Mali, when the area was captured by Islamic militants from the nomadic Tuareg tribes.