Last week, an Italian couple were abducted in Mauritania as they made their way to Burkina Faso to visit the woman’s son. The bullet-ridden vehicle of Sergio Cicala and his wife Philomene Kabouree was found near the Mauritanian border with Mali; Italian authorities suspect the kidnapping was perpetrated by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Mauritanian security forces have arrested a Malian suspect in connection with the hostage-taking, the second incident involving foreigners in the past month – three Spanish humanitarian aid workers also were kidnapped in Mauritania on 29 November. The employees of Barcelona Acción Solidaria are also thought to be in the hands of AQIM, who shot at their convoy before seizing the three. Counter-terrorism analysts foresee an increase in hostage-taking by AQIM, especially as more western oil conglomerates invest in the region.

An alleged video of US soldier Bowe Bergdahl, kidnapped on 30 June near the southern border of Afghanistan, has been released by the Taliban. The video shows the young soldier speaking clearly and appearing unharmed. It is unknown whether he is being held in Pakistan or Afghanistan.

–Yesterday’s entry ended tragically. The body of Luis Francisco Cuéllar was found surrounded by explosives on Tuesday. It is thought that his FARC kidnappers slit his throat as military troops drew near to them. The killing reawakened arguments about how far President Uribe’s democratic security policy has really gone in combating the rebels.

–Three German children who were abducted with their parents seven months ago in Yemen have been spotted in a video. The family was picnicking with three others whose bodies were found shortly thereafter. A former hostage in Yemen is now involved in investigating the case.

–And Somali pirates have vowed to continue holding a British couple kidnapped from their yacht, who will celebrate Christmas in captivity with their favourite foods as their captors await a ransom payment.

Colombian forces are on a desperate quest to find Luís Francisco Cuéllar, governor of the southern state of Caquetá, who was abducted by more than 60 FARC rebels after they threw a grenade at his home yesterday. Cuéllar had been threatened by the FARC on numerous occasions prior to the kidnapping.

The FARC have been poised to release several of their hostages prior to the new year, including the soldier Pablo Moncayo, whose family has been waiting for his freedom for over a decade. The kidnapping of Cuéllar is thought to give the FARC renewed negotiating power, as the only politician in their custody.

In related (and disturbing) news, the BBC announced last week that there are discussions between FARC and its rival rebel group, the ELN, to join forces against the government. However, government representatives dismissed the idea, saying the two groups are two ideologically different and competing to control the same territory.

Illness and travel have left me absent from the blog lately, but here are some headlines from the past few weeks:

–Two UN aid workers kidnapped in Sudan have been freed today following negotiations by community leaders. The two – a Nigerian man and Zimbabwean woman – were working for the UN in Darfur when they were abducted 100 days ago.

–An Iraqi member of Parliament has alleged that British hostage Peter Moore, kidnapped more than two years ago in Baghdad, is being held by Iran.

–Former FARC hostage Consuelo Gonzalez has announced her intention to run for the seat in Congress that she held before she was kidnapped back in 2001 and held for six years. She’s not the only one with such intentions – the father of current hostage Pablo Moncayo, Gustavo, said he intends to contest a Senate seat in the March elections. And Clara Rojas (pictured), freed with Gonzalez in January last year, also hopes to gain a Senate seat, running under the Colombian Liberal Party.

Two journalists kidnapped in Somalia over a year ago have been freed by their captors following the alleged payment of a ransom by their families. Amanda Lindhout, a Canadian, and Nigel Brennan, an Australian, spoke briefly to the press before leaving Mogadishu. Both claimed they survived abominable conditions: held apart in windowless rooms without any diversions, they underwent beatings from their captors when pleas for ransoms went unanswered.

The two have just flown out of the Somali capital to Nairobi, from where they will proceed onto their homelands.

Work and other commitments have left me slow at posting updates, but here’s the lowdown from around the globe:

–Twenty-one persons taken hostage in the southern Philippines have been found dead. Authorities blamed political rivalry for the murder of the 13 women and 8 men.

–A 12-year-old girl is allegedly among those hostages being held by Somali pirates. The girl – identified by a former Spanish hostage who was released after being held on another boat – is the daughter of Ukrainian crew members aboard the Ariana, one of several vessels captured by pirates in recent weeks.

–A deal is said to be close to being made that would secure the release of Gilad Shalit from his Hamas captors. Shalit, an Israeli soldier, was seized three years ago. His captors have demanded freedom for more than 400 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for his release.

–The remains of a Briton taken hostage in Lebanon decades ago have been identified. Alec Collett, a UN employee, was abducted during the civil war by Palestinian guerrillas. Human remains were found last week at an excavation site in an area notorious for banditry and kidnapping.

–Pope Benedict XVI has received a helmet from a group of motorcyclists who rode to Rome to highlight the plight of hostages in Colombia. The Pope welcomed the riders, who included journalist Herbin Hoyos, and said he would pray for the release of all hostages.

The forced recruitment of children is a common tactic amongst rebel groups, and the FARC prove they are not exempt from the practice. This week, there have been accusations levelled at FARC by UNICEF that they have stepped up child recruitment, especially along the border areas with Venezuela and Ecuador.

But an even more stinging accusation has come from former hostage Luis Eladio Perez, who claimed that FARC uses the young girls it recruits as sex slaves. Perez spent almost seven years in captivity and observed how young girls perform sexual favours as a way to earn small luxuries.

A promising prospect for catcher for the New York Mets, Josh Thole, is being warned that he may be pulled from playing in the winter league in Venezuela due to the high threat of kidnapping in that country. It’s not an overreaction – just last week, the mother of former Mets pitcher Victor Zambrano was taken hostage in her home and later rescued in a dramatic raid. Zambrano’s cousin Richard was not so lucky – he was also kidnapped a few weeks ago and murdered.

There has been a surge of kidnapping for ransom cases in Venezuela lately, with many high-profile persons directly targeted.

Michael Sinnott, taken hostage by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in October, was freed last night in a goodwill gesture by his captors in the southern Philippines. The 79-year-old man was said to be well despite his pre-existing fragile health. Sinnott has vowed that he will continue his work in the country and does not fear another kidnapping.