The French President, Francois Hollande has announced that four French nationals who were kidnapped in 2010 in Niger have been freed by their captives.
The men were seized on 16 September 2010 by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in raids targeting two French firms operating a uranium mine near Arlit in Niger.
The four men were identified as Thierry Dol, Daniel Larribe, Pierre Legrand and Marc Feret and they have been held hostage for more than 3 years.
The freed hostages were flown to Niger’s capital, Niamey, where they were greeted by the French foreign and defence ministers before leaving for France.
President Hollande told international reporters in the Slovak capital Bratislava that is exceedingly happy that the men have been freed since it was a major priority of his government to see the men released.
“I have some good news. I just learned from Niger’s president that our four hostages in the Sahel, the Arlit hostages, have been released.”
“I want to express all my gratitude to the president of Niger who obtained the release of our compatriots,” he added, without providing further details.
The French defence minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian said the four men were freed without a military assault or a ransom being paid.
But many in Niger according to local reporter believe that Niger’s top negotiator Mohamed Akotey who was a former Tuareg rebel negotiated for their released.
The Agence France Presse quoted the freed hostages as saying that: “they were happy, excited, we waited for so long. After three years it’s hard to believe.”
France’s military intervention in neighbouring Mali earlier this year was a worrying time because of fears the hostages could be killed in reprisal, our correspondent adds.
During the military campaign, French troops forced Islamists out of northern Mali, killing or scattering them across the vast Sahel region.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is an Islamist militant organization which aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state.
The group has declared its intention to attack European, Spanish, French, and American targets and has become a source of worry for various governments in the Islamic Maghreb.
Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News
[adrotate group=”15″]
