Islamist rebels in Somalia who took a French man hostage two months ago have made a number of demands in return for his release.

The al-Shabaab group says France must end its political and military support of the Somali government. They are also demanding the suspension of French navy deployment off the coast of Somalia and that an undisclosed number of Islamist rebels be released.

The French hostage, a security advisor from the government in Paris, was taken hostage on 14 July by al-Shabaab, a militant group linked to al-Qaeda. Another French man abducted at the same time managed to escape from his captors.