After several months: hostage-takers release Mali's opposition leaders

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Mali's opposition leader Soumaïla Cissé (archive image)

Photo: ANN RISEMBERG / REUTERS

The prominent Malian opposition leader Soumaïla Cissé has been freed by hostage-takers after several months in captivity.

A French development aid worker who was kidnapped in the West African country around four years ago is also free again.

This was confirmed by the Malian and French presidential offices.

French President Emmanuel Macron learned of Jeannine "Sophie" Pétronin's release with great relief, the Elysée Palace said.

The 75-year-old Pétronin was kidnapped in Gao, Mali in 2016.

At that time, she had lived in Mali for several years and headed a non-governmental organization.

According to the AFP news agency, Pétronin was the last French hostage held worldwide.

Two Italians freed on Tuesday

In addition, two Italians who had been held hostage for a long time were apparently released on Tuesday.

According to the Reuters news agency, Pierluigi Maccalli is said to be a missionary who was captured in Niger in September 2018.

Nicola Chacchio was apparently kidnapped while on a tourist trip.

After the release, Italy's Foreign Ministry praised the cooperation with the Malian authorities.

Release was apparently part of a prisoner swap

Cissé, former head of the opposition in the Malian parliament, was kidnapped by an unidentified armed group in northern Mali during the election campaign for the parliamentary elections.

The hostages are believed to have been held by Islamist terrorists.

There was no information on this from Paris.

The release of 70-year-old Cissé and the Europeans may have reportedly been part of a prisoner exchange.

Over a hundred convicted or suspected jihadists were released from prison over the weekend.

From security circles this has been referred to as part of an agreement.

Islamist groups took control of northern Mali in 2012 and continued to advance.

France intervened militarily in 2013 and is present in the Sahel region with around 5100 soldiers from its "Barkhane" mission.

The Bundeswehr is also deployed in Mali - as part of the UN stabilization mission Minusma and the EU training mission EUTM.

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fek / dpa / AP / AFP