American citizen held hostage for six years in West Africa freed

An American aid worker who was abducted in Niger over six years ago has been freed, as per the Biden administration.

Jeffery Woodke was kidnapped in October 2016, and it was believed that he had been taken to Mali, but as per the New York Times, U.S. officials stated that he is in the capital city of Niamey, where he is undergoing a medical examination. Woodke’s wife, Els, told the New York Times: “He is safe. I do not yet know if he is healthy.”

On Monday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted, “I’m gratified & relieved to see the release of U.S. hostage Jeff Woodke after over 6 years in captivity. The U.S. thanks Niger for its help in bringing him home to all who miss & love him. I thank so many across our government who’ve worked tirelessly toward securing his freedom.”

A senior administration official stated that the U.S. did not pay a ransom or offer any other form of concession. However, they did not disclose the terrorist group who held Woodke. In contrast, the official referred to “intersecting overlapping terrorist networks in that part of West Africa” that consider kidnapping and hostage-taking as part of their business model.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $150 million in new humanitarian aid for the region during his visit to Niger earlier this month. He stated that this funding “will help provide life-saving support to refugees, asylum-seekers, and others impacted by conflict and food insecurity in the region.”

Also, on Monday, French journalist Olivier Dubois, who went missing in Mali in April 2021, was released.

Reporters Without Borders made a statement thanking the French authorities for securing Dubois’s release: “We are overjoyed and hugely relieved. We had received reassuring news about Olivier Dubois on several occasions in recent months, and again very recently. He seemed to be in good shape, but the length of his captivity worried us.”