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One of the kidnapped Canadians seems exhausted. The other is still clutching his briefcase. Standing behind them are armed men, posing for the camera - the trademark of the al-Qaeda terrorist group.

This is the latest description of a videotape that apparently shows the disturbing fate of Robert Fowler and Louis Guay, the two Canadian diplomats who were kidnapped in December in the West African nation of Niger.

The existence of the video was revealed yesterday in Mali, a desert country bordering Niger. It appears to confirm that Mr. Fowler and Mr. Guay were taken across the border to Mali after being abducted on a highway near Niamey, the capital of Niger.

The video adds further evidence to the theory of al-Qaeda involvement in the kidnapping. The leading theory among the investigators - including Canadian, American and United Nations security specialists - is that the two Canadian diplomats are being held by a cell of al-Qaeda's branch in North Africa, which is already suspected of masterminding a series of similar kidnappings of Western tourists in Mali, Algeria and Tunisia.

The video, which lasts only a few minutes, was reportedly given to the Canadian government after the kidnapping. Ottawa has steadfastly refused to comment on any aspect of the case.

In the video, Mr. Fowler asks the federal government to "respond" to the demands of the kidnappers, according to a report yesterday from the Mali correspondent of Radio France Internationale.

"Behind him are armed men, which is the signature of al-Qaeda Islamists when they carry out kidnappings," the RFI correspondent said, quoting two sources in Mali who have seen the video.

"On the cassette after Mr. Fowler is the second Canadian diplomat, Louis Guay, who introduces himself. According to our sources, he was rather exhausted. ... Mr. Fowler still had his briefcase, which can lead one to think that the video was filmed a little after their kidnapping."

Officials from the federal government and the UN refused to comment. "We are aware of the reports of such a video but we can't comment further, and we won't comment, because we could endanger the lives of the Canadians," said Catherine Loubier, a spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon.

Mr. Fowler, one of Canada's most prominent diplomats, was a former deputy defence minister and former Canadian ambassador to the UN. He was a top adviser to several prime ministers.

After his retirement, he was appointed last July as a special UN envoy to Niger to mediate between the government and armed rebel groups. But the UN kept the mission secret for six months - until he was kidnapped. The government of Niger, meanwhile, was hostile to his talks with the rebels. It criticized him for refusing to bring his government-appointed security guards with him on the day of his kidnapping, suggesting that he was to blame for his own fate.

Mr. Fowler and his aide, Mr. Guay, and their local driver, Soumana Moukaila, were abducted on the evening of Dec. 14 as they returned from a visit to a Canadian gold mine southwest of Niamey. Their UN vehicle was found abandoned the next morning, the engine still running and signal light still blinking. Cellphones, camera and jackets of the diplomats were still in the vehicle.

The kidnapping site was 35 kilometres from Niamey, just a few minutes from a police checkpoint, on a major highway near a military base and a high-security prison. The highway is considered to be safe, far from any rebel activity. But the government of Niger has denied any involvement in the disappearance. One rebel group briefly claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, then withdrew the claim.

Suspicion has fallen on a group called Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a radical North African Islamic group that swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden in 2007.

Last year, AQIM was responsible for the kidnapping of two Austrian tourists in Tunisia, who were released in Mali after eight months in captivity. The group is also suspected of kidnapping four European tourists in Mali last month.

After the Fowler kidnapping, Canada sent investigators to Mali to look for the abducted diplomats. It asked the Malian government and other neighbouring countries to provide help in the investigation.

The Malian government is "playing a central role" in the investigation, according to the RFI report yesterday.

With a report from Gloria Galloway in Ottawa