The US and France applaud the release of two of their citizens kidnapped in Mali and Niger

Niger says release of Jeffery Woodke and Olivier Dubois comes “after many months of efforts”

March 21 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The governments of the United States and France have applauded the release of American aid worker Jeffery Woodke, kidnapped nearly six years ago in Niger, and French journalist Olivier Dubois, kidnapped two years ago in Mali.

“We applaud the release of US citizen Jeffery Woodke, who has been held in West Africa for more than six years,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who assured that the man “will be reunited soon” with his family.

“We are grateful for the extraordinary cooperation of the Government of Niger and the sustained efforts of countless organizations and individuals around the world that have resulted in Woodke’s release,” he said, according to a statement released by the State Department.

Thus, it has stressed that it does not have a “higher priority” than “getting home the Americans wrongfully detained or detained abroad.” “We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve their release throughout the world,” she said.

Along these lines, the White House National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, has been “relieved” by the release of Woodke and has reported that “the United States thanks Niger for their help in bringing him home together with those who miss him and love him”.

“I thank many in our government who have worked tirelessly to secure his release,” Sullivan said in a message posted on his official Twitter account.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said she was “happy and relieved” by Dubois’s release. “My thoughts are with his family and particularly with his children, who have recovered their father. Thanks to the Niger authorities for his decisive action,” she tweeted.

For his part, the Minister of the Interior of Niger, Hamadou Souley, indicated after the release of Woodke and Dubois that they arrive “after many months of efforts” and explained that both were in the hands of the Support Group for Islam and the Muslims (JNIM), branch of Al Qaeda in the Sahel.

“The hostages were recovered safe and sound by the Nigerien authorities and handed over to the French and American authorities,” he said, before stressing that Dubois and Woodke “are happy to be reunited with their families,” as reported by the Nigerien portal from ActuNiger news.

Woodke himself was “very happy” to be in the capital of Niger, Niamey, and stressed that he “thinks of reuniting” with his family. Dubois affirmed for his part that “it is an honor to be free” and thanked Niger for its role “in a delicate mission”, as well as the French authorities.

Dubois was kidnapped in April 2021 in the Malian city of Gao, while Woodke, who had lived in Niger for nearly 30 years, was kidnapped in October 2016 in the town of Abalak, located in the northwest of the country, near the border with Mali.