West Africa
Burkina Faso: Australians freed after being held hostage for seven years
View of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. photo
© Nicolas Maeterlinck/BELGA/dpa/Symbolbid
In 2016, an Australian doctor and his wife were kidnapped by a militant group. His wife was released after a year. Now he too can return to his homeland.
An Australian doctor has returned home after being held hostage for seven years in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
“I am delighted to report that Dr Kenneth Elliott has been released after more than seven years in captivity in West Africa,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday. He was “safe and well” and already reunited with his family.
The 88-year-old was kidnapped with his wife in 2016 by a militant group said to have ties to the Islamist terrorist organization al-Qaeda. His wife was released after a year. At that time, the couple had been living in Burkina Faso for 40 years and ran a clinic there.
Details of the man’s release were not released. In a statement, the family thanked “the Australian Government and everyone who has campaigned for his release over time.” Elliott now needs “time and privacy to rest and regain his strength”.