A doctor from the World Health Organization (WHO), kidnapped on January 23 by unidentified people in the Malian town of Ménaka, was released on Thursday, local authorities told AFP on Saturday (February 4).
“
Dr Diawara Mahamadou, WHO support doctor at the Ménaka regional health directorate, was released on 2 February.
He is doing well
, ”said an official of this regional directorate.
"
The doctor placed at the disposal of the regional management of Ménaka by the WHO was released on February 2 not far from Gao
", also said an official of the governorate of this other large city in the north of the country, located about 300 km from Menaka.
“
On his captors, several versions circulate.
I cannot accurately answer this question at this time.
He told us he was not mistreated
,” he added.
"Helping people"
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.
In post for the WHO in Ménaka since the beginning of 2020, Dr Diawara provided medical care to communities that were often isolated and faced the risk of insecurity and violence.
In October 2022, the WHO had drawn up the portrait of this surgeon who then declared: “
A patient is a patient (…).
Our job is to go where people are and need health care.
»
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After several years in Gao, also in eastern Mali, Dr Diawara asked to be posted to Ménaka, near the border with Niger where more than 25,500 displaced Malians were living last October, in six sites, in precarious conditions and with limited access to health care.
When the author of the article asked him if he was ever afraid, the surgeon replied: “
Of course he is, but the main thing is to stay focused on our mission: to help people
”.
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