French journalist held in Somalia said to be "fine"

(Adds arrest, death threat)
By Abdiqani HassanBOSASSO, Somalia, Dec 18 (Reuters) -

A Somali clan elder said on Tuesday he had seen a French journalist kidnapped by gunmen and he was in a "fine" condition.But the local elder, who is related to the kidnappers, also told Reuters the group was demanding an $80,000 ransom for the release of Gwen Le Gouil in northern Puntland region."We saw the French journalist. He is fine.

We tried to convince the abductors to release the journalist, but they refused and demanded $80,000," Abdulqadir Ahmed said."We are going to negotiate with them again today."Le Gouil, who was seized on Sunday, is being held in the mountainous village of Mareero, 30 km (19 miles) east of Puntland's Bosasso port, locals say.

Puntland's security minister Abdulahi Saeed Samatar said one of the kidnappers had been arrested in a police operation, but gave no further details.Jama Hussein Mohamed, an accomplice to the kidnappers, said he escaped arrest but his friend was detained."

The kidnappers called the police and threatened to kill the French journalist if they did not release him," Mohamed told Reuters by phone.He said he was one of the people who had set up Le Gouil's kidnapping, but was now mediating with the Frenchman's captors.

Somali kidnappers are known to treat their captives well and almost never kill them, viewing them as an investment on which they expect a return in the form of ransom.Many foreigners in Somalia run foul of local clans by failing to seek permission to travel through their territories.A colleague of Le Gouil in a TV company, Cargocult Production, said he had no fresh information on Tuesday."

But I am hopeful we might get some good news of his release today. Negotiations are continuing," said Jean Laurent, who is tracking his colleague's case from Nairobi.French diplomats in the region had no comment.

Le Gouil was in the semi-autonomous region of north Somalia working on a piece for the Franco-German TV network Arte Television about human trafficking of African migrants to Saudi Arabia through Yemen.Media groups have denounced the kidnapping in a nation where eight local journalists have died this year covering a conflict between the Ethiopian-backed government and Islamist-led rebels.

Known for its relative stability compared to chaotic south Somalia, Puntland has, however, become increasingly associated with kidnappings, hijackings and piracy. (Writing by Aweys Yusuf and Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Katie Nguyen)