An African rebel group first claimed, then denied, responsibility for the disappearance of two Canadian diplomats in Niger on Tuesday.
Canadian diplomats Robert Fowler and Louis Guay went missing late Sunday while working for the United Nations.
Their UN vehicle was found abandoned about 40 kilometres from Niamey, the capital of Niger.
When news broke that the men had gone missing, neither the UN nor the Canadian government could what had happened to them.
On Tuesday, the Front des Forces de Redressement (FFR) claimed responsibility for Fowler's kidnapping on the rebel group's website, but later took back the claim.
An initial posting said the group had taken Fowler and three others as "a strong signal to protest Canada's support for Niger's government."
The website posting said Fowler was captured during a commando operation in the Tilabery region.
It also said the FFR was holding three other hostages, believed to include Guay and Fowler's local driver. There is no information on the identity of the fourth person.
The online statement said Fowler was okay and would soon be taken to a secure location.
But a subsequent posting attributed to FFR leader Mohamed Aoutchiki Kriska denied the report Tuesday.
"No hostage-taking should be attributed to our movement, which is fighting against these practices from another era," the posting said.
The posting also suggested that Canada may be a contributing factor to problems in Niger.
"Even if it's true that Canada is an actor in this conflict...civilians, diplomats, and other actors under the auspices of the United Stations, are not our targets," the posting said.
On Tuesday morning, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said he could not confirm if the rebel group was indeed holding Fowler.
"We'll have to study any communications to see whether they can be verified or whether they're reliable," Haq told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday morning.
"At this stage I wouldn't have any comment and I wouldn't try and speculate."
Haq said the UN is actively working with officials in Niger to locate the three men.
The Canadian government has said little about the missing diplomats and has suggested that too much talk could put both men in danger.
On Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon released a statement saying consular officials "are actively engaged" with officials in Niger and at the UN.
"I want to assure family, friends and all Canadians that we will do everything we can to resolve the situation successfully," he said in the statement.
Fowler's family knows that he is missing, but is reluctant to talk about the situation for fear that doing so may put him in danger.
Fowler's background
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed the 64-year-old Fowler as special envoy for Niger last July.
Fowler is also a senior fellow of the University of Ottawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and has had a long career in public service, working for Canada and for the UN.
He is a former deputy defence minister, also served as a foreign policy adviser under several prime ministers and previously served as Canada's ambassador to Italy.
Fowler is also a former Security Council member and UN ambassador.
CTV's Chief Political Correspondent Craig Oliver described Fowler as both tough and resilient.
"He's a guy who likes to get out there, talk to people, know what's going on in whatever country or situation he's in," Oliver told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday.
Former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy said Fowler has a very strong interest in the activities of Africa.
"I know in taking on this special envoy assignment... he once again felt he could be in a tough area where he could do some good," Axworthy told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday.
Axworthy said it was "encouraging" that the rebel group has come forward because at least there's somebody to negotiate with now.
With files from The Canadian Press, The Associated Press and a report from CTV's Roger Smith
