Release of Olivier Dubois: the journalist back on French soil
French journalist Olivier Dubois after his release, March 20, 2023 in Niamey. © Moussa Kaka/RFI
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Journalist Olivier Dubois landed in France, on March 21, 2023 at Villacoublay air base, the day after the announcement of his release after almost 2 years of captivity in Mali. The Frenchman is welcomed by his relatives and by the head of state Emmanuel Macron.
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The French journalist, abducted on 8 April 2021 in Gao, was released after almost two years in detention. His release was announced on 20 March 2023 in Niamey. He was presented at the same time as the American Jeffery Woodke, who was a hostage for more than six years in the Sahel.
Olivier Dubois was in the hands of Jnim, the group for the support of Islam and Muslims, linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Since his abduction, he had appeared in two videos released by his captors, in May 2021 and March 2022.
He had been abducted while reporting in Gao. He had gone there to interview a local Jnim chief, Abdallah Ag Albakaye, in the Talataye area. It was when he was organizing to go to this interview that men abducted him.
🔴 #DIRECT - #OlivierDubois landed on the tarmac of #Villacoublay Air Base.
He embraces his half-sister and father, before hugging French President Emmanuel #Macron pic.twitter.com/1bttcOWZ4b
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_fr) March 21, 2023
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Read on on the same topics:
- France
- Mali
- Niger
- Journalism
- Freedom of the press
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French journalist Olivier Dubois released after almost two years in captivity in Mali