President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed today that two French men had been kidnapped last night in Niamey, capital of Niger.
Armed men in turbans took the two men out of the bar at gunpoint and drove off in a waiting four-wheel drive with tinted windows.
Niger's authorities were searching across the desert nation today for the two men.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the kidnapping but a number of Westerners have been kidnapped in Niger over the last few years, often ending up in the hands of the Sahara-based North African wing of al-Qaeda, AQIM.
Previous attacks have taken place further to the north, where the influence of the Niamey government is weaker and a mix of rebels and local bandits has long operated.
Most of the hostages have been released after demands are made and, analysts say, millions of dollars in ransom payments paid, even though officials never confirm money changes hands.