Sophie Pétronin: France has a "proof of life" of the hostage, according to his relatives

Hope does not die for French hostage Sophie Pétronin. France has a "reliable" and recent proof of life from Sophie Pétronin, the French humanitarian worker kidnapped in Mali and held hostage since December 24, 2016, reported Tuesday in a press release his relatives including his son, received last week at the Quai d'Orsay. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, refused any official comments.

According to this press release sent by the humanitarian nephew, originally from Bordeaux and kidnapped in Gao (northern Mali) by armed men, "the French authorities via the Quai d'Orsay crisis cell have summoned" his son Sébastien Chadaud- Pétronin last week "to tell him important news". "The French state has reliable proof of Sophie's life as of the beginning of March," write the relatives, who however indicate that they do not have "details or material to appreciate this news more."

A first since the kidnapping

"This is the first time that the Quai d'Orsay has informed us of the existence of proof of Sophie's life in such an official manner," said Sophie Pétronin's nephew, Lionel Granouillac, assuring that the relatives were going to ask "clarifications". "Sébastien is established in the Swiss Jura and we were surprised that in full confinement, he was told to come to the Quai d'Orsay, without specifying the reason for the summons," he noted.

"It is in any case good news that we hope to herald very very good news". For loved ones, the "expectation always remains the same: Let's free Sophie ". "She is sick, but we know from our information that she is receiving treatment," said the nephew.

No more news since November 2018

On December 30, the humanitarian's husband, Jean-Pierre Pétronin, deplored the silence surrounding the fate of his wife, a medical practitioner in his seventies, saying he had the feeling that she had been "forgotten". "We don't know if she's alive. We haven't had any news at all for a year, ”he lamented on the third anniversary of his captivity.

The last video in which Sophie Pétronin appeared was received in mid-June 2018. She seemed very tired there, her face emaciated, and appealed to Emmanuel Macron. In another video in November 2018, where she did not appear, her captors claimed that her state of health had deteriorated.