YAOUNDE, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- One day after the abduction of seven French tourists in northern Cameroon, officials of the West African country avoid giving any clue of their whereabouts.
"The investigations are ongoing," said colonel Didier Eyebe, the head of the inter-army Operational Center, who, however, did not divulge more information on the search for the French nationals kidnapped in the extreme northern region of Dabanga.
The tourists boarded a blue Pajero 4x4 when kidnapped by armed men on several motorcycles. They were then driven to Nigeria, according to local sources who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the case.
The seven including three adults and four children of the same family were abducted on a visit to the Waza natural park, a Cameroonian tourist site frequented by tourists during this dry season.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction and the identity of the kidnappers remains unknown. However, during his visit to Greece on Tuesday, French President Francois Hollande indicated that the abductors could be members of Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant sect.
The suspicion was not confirmed by Eyebe and lieutenant-colonel Didier Badjeck, who is the communication officer for Cameroon's Defense Ministry.
An official statement noted that the hostages were abducted along the Maraou-Kousseri road.
"During this dry season, the movements can be done on the roads as well as outside the roads, and this promotes the porosity of our borders," the statement noted.
