Kidnapped in April 2021, in Gao, Mali, journalist Olivier Dubois landed at Vélizy Villacoublay airport on Tuesday March 21 after two years of captivity in the Sahel.
"
There was a rush of emotion
," testified the journalist on
franceinfo
, referring to his arrival in France.
The journalist evoked pell-mell the “
pleasure
” and the “
happiness
” of finding his children, his parents but also his companion with whom he shared during these two years a message system by looking at the sun at the same time.
"
It's all over when you hug your family
," he then breathes with emotion.
“We are with hostile people”
The former hostage then returned to the importance of the link that his family maintained thanks to the waves of Radio France International.
“
The news only went over the radio
”, he always explains at the microphone of
franceinfo
.
Every 8th of the month, from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., the hostage listens attentively.
"
It was the unmissable meeting, the day of comfort, it was the possibility of having news
" he recalls not without joy before adding that the conditions of the captives are always difficult: "
we are with hostile people, it was hard
”.
Read alsoFinally free after 23 months of captivity, ex-hostage Olivier Dubois welcomed by Emmanuel Macron
It is also on the physical conditions of his captivity that Olivier Dubois returned.
The former hostage says that he and his jailers settled "
in all types of environments that the region can present
", between mountains and forests, that is to say "
the central part of the Kidal region
".
Initially, he is tied up day and night after a failed escape attempt.
“
There were tensions, difficult episodes, but no mistreatment, I was not mistreated
”.
During these two years, the journalist will try to communicate with those who hold him back.
“
Most of my jailers were young people, and didn't speak French at all, they spoke Tamasheq or Arabic
,” so “
I developed a Tamasheq kit that allowed me to talk
,” he says.
He also begins to read the Koran, because “
for them,
it is something very important, it is the pillar
”.
"
I wanted to understand because it referred a lot to this book
", he explains before explaining that "
it unlocked a lot of things
".
“My body is always in resistance”
The journalist finally insisted on the certainty that he had to go out one day.
We must not forget, "
I experienced this [my abduction] as an injustice, I came in good faith to interview a JNIM executive
", he recalls.
He says he therefore entered a form of “resistance” to maintain himself.
In addition, "
when we have a radio we know that there are plenty of people behind us
", he testifies.
After only two days of release, Olivier Dubois says he still feels the effects of detention.
"
My brain is starting to realize but my body is still resisting, it's still a bit there
."
“
I slept my first four hours last night
,” he confesses.
Before concluding later: "
The first thing I'm going to do is sleep, because I'm very very tired
".