The family of a French couple living in Mexico say they are "certain" the couple have been kidnapped, as French authorities say they are 'closely monitoring the situation.'
Assya Madjour and her husband Michel Amado, aged 50 and 57, were living in the North American country for the past few years, but now their families say they have not given any sign of life for more than a month.
The newly married couple built their life in the scenic country, and recently acquired a new 'life project' in the city of Valladolid, in Yucatan, on the eastern tip of Mexico.
However, since obtaining this, their relatives say they have not heard anything from them, and have gone without news from the pair since August 25.
The sister of Assya, Nawel Madjour, explained that: “We were in contact all the time.
"They didn't feel in danger, but I was still worried about them because of the dangerousness of the region."
But on September 26, the families of this French couple from the Basque Country reported their disappearance, and this was relayed by the French authorities to their Mexican counterparts.
The French Embassy in Mexico went on to assure their family that, "its services [are] mobilised, just like the Consulate General of France in Mexico City, in close contact with the family", to find them.
The pair met a few years ago through a mutual friend in the Basque Country. Assya had previously lived in Mexico, while her husband has already been out there for about 15 years. Upon meeting one another, they settled in Playa del Carmen, in Quintana Roo, where Michel rented out a studio on the coast.
Two years ago, they decided to make the move to Valladolid and worked together to take over a hotel there. Following this, they got married just four months ago.
The fusion couple, who regularly went back and forth between Valladolid and Playa del Carmen have put a lot of stress and worry on their family, since they have not contacted them in any way.
The sister of the Frenchwoman said: "We live in permanent anguish.
"We ask a lot of questions: 'Are they alive?' 'Are they okay?'"
The authorities have now confirmed that their search for them will be concentrated in Chiapas - which is more than 800 kilometers from Valladolid.
This is because on September 6, Assya sent her family an email outlining the reasons behind her attending a spiritual centre. She explained that she would be in the centre of Mexico, but her family have claimed that this letter did not resemble her character or personality.
And on September 12, Michael sent a message indicating that he was in Chiapas to buy land.
But the families of the couple have been left with more questions. They say that they are inquiring about the origin of these messages, and do not believe the Chiapas hypothesis.
In fact, the relatives say they are certain the couple never even left Yucatan, with Nawel shockingly saying: "For us, it is certain that it is a kidnapping. We do not believe in the thesis of Chiapas.
They often circulated between Valladolid and Playa del Carmen, and Quintana Roo is known as a State where he there are a lot of disappearances."
Nawel said that the kin first alerted to the disappearance of the couple on social networks before contacting the authorities.
She added that the research is still processing and has been informed that the French authorities are working hand-in-hand with the Mexican authorities to get to the bottom of their investigation.
