A Burkinabe humanitarian worker from the NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) kidnapped on Monday in Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, was released on Friday, we learned from police, humanitarian and MSF sources.
The aid worker was kidnapped on December 19 by armed men in a district of Gao, a Malian police source said.
He is a logistician with MSF, according to another police source.
“
The MSF agent who was abducted on (Monday morning) December 19 was released today (Friday) around 08:00
GMT and local time, said a police source in Gao.
“
He has been released and is safe and sound.
He flew on a humanitarian flight to Bamako
”, the Malian capital, said a foreign humanitarian source in Gao.
News of the aid worker's release was confirmed by an MSF official.
“
Yes.
Our colleague has been released
,” said the MSF official, who requested anonymity, without further details.
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No information was given on the kidnappers and the conditions of his release.
Since 2012, Mali has been plagued by a serious security crisis and violence of all kinds, of which kidnappings are one aspect, whether of foreigners or Malians.
The motivations, ideological or villainous, range from the demand for ransom to the act of reprisals through the will to bargain.