HE the Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the State of Qatar has made intensive efforts over the past period to broker the release of the Djiboutian prisoners of war in Eritrea.

"HH the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani was personally overseeing the process," HE the Foreign Minister said at a press conference last night, in the presence of the Foreign Minister of Djibouti Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

HE the Foreign Minister added that intensive meetings was held in Doha with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, who directed the authorities in his country to hand over the four prisoners of war who were in a group of seven, one of them died and two others fled. The Djiboutian authorities confirmed the reports.

For his part, the Foreign Minister of Djibouti expressed gratitude and appreciation to the State of Qatar, noting that Djibouti had asked for the Qatari mediation.