| Abu
Sayyaf gunmen pledge to release four western women captives JOLO, Philippines, Aug 27 (AFP) -
Muslim extremists said Sunday they will free four western women being held among 29
hostages in the southern Philippines, ahead of key talks with negotiators.
The Abu Sayyaf gunmen said in a
statement issued in Zamboanga city that they would free the four among 12 western captives
on "Sunday afternoon or Monday morning."
Two French women, a South
African and a Franco-Lebanese would be freed "as an exchange for the effort of Libya
to convince the Europeans to pressure (President Joseph Estrada) not to launch a military
attack," Abu Sayyaf militants said in a statement.
"The rest of the hostages
will be released when Libya has proven its commitment on livelihood," they said
referring to a Libyan offer of aid to Muslim areas.
The rare statement by the Abu
Sayyaf came as confident Philippine negotiators, accompanied by two Libyan mediators, flew
to Jolo island Sunday for talks with the group's leaders.
"We expect the release of
some (hostages)," said chief government negotiator Roberto Aventajado, who flew into
Jolo aboard a jet and was driven to an army outpost about 10 kilometers (0.6 miles) from
the Abu Sayyaf mountain hideout.
"Our minimum (expectation)
is the four western women."
Government emissaries later
drove off from the army outpost towards the direction of the gunmen's hideout while
Aventajado and two Libyan mediators stayed behind.
Aventajado, who said he was in
telephone contact with Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang alias Commander Robot, stressed he
would let the guerrilla leaders decide who among the hostages to release first. "But
priority is women."
The Abu Sayyaf gunmen,
self-styled Muslim independence fighters, hold three other Frenchmen, two Germans, two
Finn, the South African woman's husband, and 17 Filipinos.
Nine of the westerners were
snatched from a nearby Malaysian resort in a cross-border raid by the Abu Sayyaf on Easter
Sunday and are now on their 127th day in captivity.
The Abu Sayyaf has freed more
than a dozen hostages including 11 foreigners in exchange for ransoms the Philippine
military estimated at 5.5 million dollars.
Libya is playing a key role in
mediation efforts to free the hostages.
A charity run by a son of
Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi has offered to provide development aid worth millions of
dollars to Muslim areas of the largely Roman Catholic Philippines in exchange for the 12
western hostages.
Aventajado was accompanied by
fellow negotiators, including Libyan envoy Rajab Azzarouq, Tripoli's point man in the
talks to free the hostages.
Kadhafi's son Seif al-Islam
said in an interview with a German magazine at the weekend that the hostages "will be
released in small groups" in coming days, with the women to be out first.
A Libyan jet has been on
standby in the Philippines for two weeks, ready to fly the western hostages to Tripoli
where they would be turned over to their respective governments.
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