Gunmen have abducted an Italian couple and their son in southern Mali, according to the Church of Jehovah’s Witnesses in neighboring Senegal. They are an elderly couple, about 70 years old, and their 50-year-old son, according to the same source.
It remains unknown who abducted them, while according to unconfirmed information, the gunmen are also holding a Togolese who was with the Italian family.
The Italian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that it has been informed of the abduction and is expected to issue a statement.
Abductions have been on the rise in Mali recently, with extremists linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State stepping up their presence in the south of the West African country, far from their strongholds in the north and central parts.
The jihadists are using Mali as a base for their attacks in the wider Sahel region. Their activities have spread to neighboring countries (Burkina Faso, Niger) and have cost the lives of thousands of people in recent years. The deployment of foreign powers – France, the UN and African states – did not resolve the crisis.
In April 2021, French journalist Olivier Diboua was abducted in the city of Gao (northern Mali) by members of Al Qaeda and is estimated to remain a prisoner.
An 83-year-old American nun was abducted earlier this month in neighboring Burkina Faso.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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