French Journalist Reported Prisoner of FARC

A French journalist has gone missing in Colombia after the army unit he was accompanying was attacked by FARC rebels.

Frances’ foreign minister initially said that French journalist  Romeo Langlois had been taken prisoner during a clash between the Colombian army and the FARC rebels, buton Monday clarified that this was not known for certain. Langlois was embedded with troops on a mission to destroy cocaine labs in the southern Caqueta province. The unit came under fire from the guerrillas as they descended from helicopters on Saturday morning. Three soldiers and one police officer were killed and eight others wounded,according to the Colombian authorities.

Colombia’s Defense Minister Pinzon said that, according to army personnel, Langlois was hit in the arm by a bullet, and then removed his bulletproof vest and helmet and ran towards the guerrillas, identifying himself as a civilian.

Several soldiers went missing during the clash, but were later found by the army. The Colombian government has called on the rebels to respect the life of Langlois, as a war correspondent, and has launched operations to find him. RCN Radio reports that the authorities think Langlois may be liberated after completing a “journalistic project” with the group.

A friend of Langlois, who has worked with him on journalism projects in Colombia for more than a decade, told French media that Langlois “knows the FARC perfectly” and has many contacts amongst them -- “he knows the codes, the language.”

The AP notes that the last case of Colombian rebels taking foreign journalists hostage was 2003, and that they were released safely within days. The FARC recently pledged to cease the practice of kidnapping for ransom, and released their last remaining political hostages. The BBC said that the rebels may be stepping up attacks -- having killed another eight people in the same region the previous day -- in an effort to force the government into negotiations. The WSJ, in contrast, said that the latest attacks could hurt hopes for peace.

The case is particularly sensitive for France, given the kidnapping of Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, who also held French citizenship. She was held by rebels for six years from 2002 after being captured in the same province as Langlois, and was then rescued by the Colombian security forces. One analyst pointed out to French news site Atlantico that Betancourt had also held discussions with guerrilla leaders before her kidnapping, and said that, despite their promises to cease kidnapping, the FARC could still find a French citizen a valuable hostage.

News Briefs

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