Robert Besser
24 Mar 2023, 05:44 GMT+10
NIAMEY, Niger: Four weeks after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger, an American aid worker and a French journalist kidnapped and held by Islamist extremists were freed and flown to the country's capital this week.
US officials said no ransom was paid for aid worker Jeffery Woodke, who was held for more than six years, and praised Niger's government for helping secure his release. The French government did not comment on how freedom was won for journalist Olivier Dubois, who was abducted almost two years ago in neighboring Mali.
"I thank God first of all. And after God, I thank the government of Niger, the US government and France. Long live France!" said Woodke, as quoted by the Associated Press.
Dubois told journalists that he was tired but otherwise fine.
"It is amazing for me to be here, to be free. I did not expect it at all," he said.
Blinken, who announced $150 million in direct assistance to the Sahel region during his visit, said of the releases, "I am very pleased we are now seeing that come to fruition today."
In 2021, Woodke's wife Els said she believed her husband was being held by an al-Qaida-linked militant group known as JNIM, which had demanded a multimillion-dollar ransom.
Dubois also was being held by JNIM militants, said Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory.
This week, the International Committee of the Red Cross also announced that two of its employees were freed in Mali.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said efforts to free Woodke were headed by US military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, which worked closely with the French.
"It was a team effort to get him out, and there were no concessions made. There were no swaps here. This was just hard, grueling, deliberate work by diplomats and other experts, directly with the government of Niger to get him home," Kirby said, as reported by Reuters.
Woodke and Debois were the highest-profile foreigners known to be held in the region, and their release was the most significant since a French woman and two Italian men were freed together in Mali in October 2020.
Get a daily dose of Irish Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Irish Sun.
More InformationHONG KONG: The Chinese Foreign Ministry has issued a request to all foreign consulates in Hong Kong, seeking the personal ...
MARTIN COUNTY, Florida: An Amazon driver making a delivery to a Florida home this week was bitten by a rattlesnake ...
CALGARY, Canada: From early 2024, the long-delayed and controversial Canadian government-owned Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion (TMX) is expected to ...
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan's Supreme Court proceedings were broadcast live on state television on Monday, providing an unprecedented glimpse into the ...
MORGANTOWN, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania state police said that nine teenage boys who escaped from the Abraxas Academy detention center this week ...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska: Anchorage is struggling to find housing options for more than 3,000 homeless residents, as the city's mass shelter ...
DHAKA, Bangladesh - Md Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, has stated that the European Union's decision not to ...
DUBLIN, Europe: Trinity College Dublin has secured its position among Europe's top academic institutions, clinching the 31st spot in the ...
ANKARA, Turkey: During a meeting, Michael Evans, President of the Alibaba Group, told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that the Chinese ...
WARSAW, Poland: As part of European Union (EU) sanctions imposed against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Poland banned all ...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden: Days before the Riksbank, Sweden's central bank, is expected to again raise interest rates, the Swedish krona hit ...
BORDEAUX, France: Some Ireland rugby fans were among the 25 people hospitalized after a botulism outbreak in Tchin Tchin Wine ...