France vows revenge over hostage death

FRENCH president Nicolas Sarkozy has vowed to punish al-Qaeda's north African wing after confirming the death of a 78-year-old French hostage kidnapped in Niger.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb said on Sunday it had killed Michel Germaneau in response to a raid by France and Mauritania against the group last week, according to a recording aired on Al Jazeera.

French commandos, acting with Mauritanian troops, had tried to free Mr Germaneau, a retired engineer kidnapped on 20 April, but had not found him when they raided a desert al Qaeda camp in Mali, Mr Sarkozy said yesterday.

"Convinced that he was condemned to a certain death, it was our duty to try to save him from his captors. Unfortunately Michel Germaneau was not there," Mr Sarkozy said in a live televised statement. "Far from weakening our determination, his death must reinforce it."