France's foreign ministry has confirmed that an al-Qaeda group is holding five of its citizens after abducting them from a uranium mine in Niger.
A ministry spokesman said France had no proof the five were alive but had "good reasons" to believe they were.
He said a claim from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) was genuine.
Another two people, one from Togo and and the other from Madagascar, were seized along with the French group.
Speaking to AFP news agency in Paris, foreign ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said the government was "in a position to confirm the authenticity of the claim" from AQIM, which was broadcast on the Arab satellite network al-Jazeera.
He said France had received no other communication and was not yet aware of any precise demands from the hostage-takers.
The AQIM statement said the group would issue demands to the French government "shortly" and warned against doing "anything stupid".
Niger's government believes the kidnappers are affiliated to Abou Zaid, the AQIM leader in northern Mali.
France has sent 80 military personnel to Niger's capital Niamey to help search for the hostages.
They are backed by a long-range Breguet Atlantique aircraft and a Mirage jet equipped with sophisticated monitoring equipment.
BBC News
