French hostages reported alive and well in Afghanistan

France has received confirmation that two journalists held hostage in Afghanistan are alive and well, the top adviser to President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Sunday. Claude Guéant said that negotiations to free the two men would resume after Ramadan.

Journalists rally to demand the release of their two kidnapped colleagues. Reuters

"I have two pieces of good news: firstly, we've have had proof of life within the last dozen days and, secondly, we know that they're in good health," Guéant told Europe 1 radio.

"Ramadan has delayed negotiations - which seemed to be going well - but they'll restart in a few days."

The two French hostages, Hervé Ghesquière et Stéphane Taponier, a reporter and a cameraman working for France 3 television, were kidnapped along with three Afghan colleagues in December last year.

They appeared in a video released in April, looking noticeably thinner, and read a statement calling on the French government to comply with their kidnappers' demands.