Sophie Pétronin, the French humanitarian kidnapped in Mali and held hostage since December 24, 2016, has been released, we learned from the Malian presidency on Thursday evening.
It was exchanged for more than a hundred jihadists, who have already been released in recent days.
The end of a captivity of almost four years.
Sophie Pétronin, kidnapped and held hostage since December 24, 2016, was released, we learned Thursday evening.
The 75-year-old French humanitarian aid worker and Soumaila Cissé, a Malian politician, were both traded for more than a hundred jihadists who have been released in recent days, according to the Malian presidency, which has announced on Twitter.
The Presidency of the Republic confirms the release of Mr. Soumaila Cisse and Ms. Sophie Petronin.
The ex-hostages are on their way to Bamako.
- Presidency Mali (@PresidenceMali) October 8, 2020
Kidnapped by a jihadist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda
Sophie Pétronin had been detained for almost four years, on December 24, 2016. She had been kidnapped, in broad daylight, by a terrorist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, in Gao, in northern Mali, a city in which she had settled in 2001. This humanitarian worker and nutritionist, created the NGO "Association for Gao Aid" in 2004, to help children in the region.
In 2012, she had already narrowly escaped kidnapping by an Islamist group.
She had been able to return to France for some time before returning to Gao, in order to continue her mission.
The last video in which Sophie Pétronin appeared was received in mid-June 2018. She seemed very tired, her face emaciated, and appealed to Emmanuel Macron.
In another video in November 2018, where she did not appear, her captors claimed that her health had deteriorated.
But the French authorities had summoned the son of Sophie Pétronin last March, claiming to have "reliable" and recent proof of French humanitarian life.