These are the first attacks of its kind in the history of this very poor Sahelian country engaged since early 2013 in neighboring Mali, alongside French and African troops, against jihadist movements. – Sia Kambou AFP
A French journalist, Olivier Dubois, collaborator of various media, indicates that he was kidnapped in early April in Mali by jihadists affiliated with Al-Qaeda, in a video of undetermined origin circulating on social networks on Wednesday.
An official at French Foreign Affairs in Paris confirmed the “disappearance” of Olivier Dubois, who cooperated with media such as the France24 channel or the daily Release.
In a brief video of about twenty seconds, Olivier Dubois says he was kidnapped on April 8 in Gao by the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM, or Jnim in Arabic), the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel. He said to address his family, his friends and the French authorities “so that they do everything in their power to get me released”.