French tourist found dead in Chad after a 2-day search in the Sahara

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N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — The body of a French citizen has been found in northeast Chad, following a two-day search in the Sahara Desert, authorities said Friday.

The man, identified as Paul Ferreri, was found in the Ennedi region, the Tourism Ministry said. He had been missing since he walked out of a tourist camp on Monday near the town of Bachikele. Ferreri was visiting as part of the 6th International Festival of Saharan Cultures.

Ferreri and another unidentified tourist walked out of the camp on Wednesday morning. After a short search, the unidentified tourist was found and explained that he had turned back and become disoriented while trying to retrace his steps to the camp.

Chad's Ennedi region is a remote mountainous region in the Sahara Desert near the border with Sudan and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The festival, centered in the town of Amdjarass, features performers from across the region and is meant to showcase traditional Saharan culture.

The French Foreign Ministry said that it's monitoring the situation very closely and is in close contact with local authorities. While no cause of death has been identified, the Chadian authorities said that they remained in close contact with French authorities and would release more information as it became available.

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Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report from Paris.