The Egyptian Foreign Ministry is in talks with Yemeni officials to secure the release of 49 Egyptian expats who were detained last week in Yemen’s capital city of Sana’a, according to a statement on Monday.
Various media outlets reported on Sunday that the Egyptian nationals had been kidnapped by Houthi rebels. The reports were based on testimonies given by the families of the kidnapped Egyptians to the ministry; however, the ministry has refuted the allegations.
The ministry added that the 49 Egyptians worked in different sectors in Yemen and had lived in the city of El Hedida several years ago.
The Foreign Ministry’s official spokesperson noted that the Egyptian ambassador in Yemen Youssef El Sharqwai has been holding talks with Yemeni officials, under order of the ministry, to secure the release of all 49 Egyptians.
“The Egyptian ambassador in Yemen has contacted the Yemeni prime minister, Yemeni foreign minister and head of the Yemeni parliament, in addition to other Yemeni officials and public figures to facilitate their release,” the statement read.
The statement continued, saying that their release had been scheduled for Saturday; however, recent erroneous media reports have had a negative impact on negotiations.
The ministry has called on Egyptian media outlets to allow them to do their jobs in order to bring a swift resolution to this issue.
