Nearly three weeks after three Indian nationals were abducted in an armed attack on a cement factory in Gangontery, in Mali’s Kayes region, the daughter of one of the hostages has made an emotional plea for his release.
New Delhi continues to closely monitor the situation.
Speaking exclusively to APA on Friday, July 18, Renu Joshi, the daughter of Prakash Joshi, implored the Malian authorities to act swiftly to save her father, who has been held captive for nearly three weeks.
According to her account, Prakash Joshi, 60, was kidnapped on July 1, 2025, at the Diamond Cement Factory where he worked alongside two other Indian colleagues who were also abducted. The day after the incident, a single photo surfaced online showing him sitting under a tree. Since then, no further information has emerged.
“Since that day, we have no knowledge of what steps are being taken. The Indian government has entrusted Malian authorities with managing the negotiations and the rescue process,” she said. Joshi noted that her father, a vegetarian who requires daily medication, had only been in Mali for 20 days when he was abducted. “I beg the Malian authorities to act quickly to rescue my father,” she pleaded.
The abduction occurred during a coordinated series of jihadist attacks on military, administrative, and economic sites in the regions of Kayes, Nioro, and Ségou, including the assault on the Diamond Cement site.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the three Indian nationals, employees of Diamond Cement Mali SA, were taken by force during the raid.
No group has officially claimed responsibility, but Malian security sources attribute the kidnapping to the Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist coalition Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).
Mali continues to face a wave of unresolved foreign abductions, particularly targeting Asian nationals working in the mining and construction sectors.
At least two Chinese workers abducted in 2021 in the south of the country remain missing. More recently, in July 2024, two Russian nationals affiliated with the Wagner private military company were captured by rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA)—formerly the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA)—during clashes near Tinzaouatène on the Algerian border.
Such kidnappings are often used by armed groups as a means of financing their operations or exerting political pressure amid Mali’s deteriorating security situation.
The Indian government has condemned the abductions as “deplorable” and confirmed that it remains in contact with Malian authorities, the factory management, and the families of those affected.
The Indian embassy in Bamako has urged its nationals to limit travel and maintain regular communication with consular services.
On July 14, Indian MP Hanuman Beliwal also raised the issue publicly, stating, “Yesterday, I tweeted and sent a letter to the Minister of External Affairs, and I also spoke with ministry officials to ensure the safe return of the Indian citizens kidnapped in Mali. The ministry has contacted embassy officials in Bamako and informed me that all possible efforts are being made to secure their release.”
While Malian authorities have yet to issue an official statement, local sources indicate that search operations have been launched in the Kayes region.
AC/sf/lb/as/APA