The journalist Olivier Dubois, the last French hostage in the world, was kidnapped on 8 April 2021 in Gao, Mali, where he had gone for an interview on jihadism in the Sahel.
The French journalist arrived free at Niamey airport in Niger on Monday 20 March 2023, after 711 days of captivity in Mali.
Considered the last French hostage in the world, he appeared in apparently good shape, smiling and visibly moved.
“I feel tired but I am fine (…). It’s huge for me to be here, to be free,” said the former hostage.
He was released with American humanitarian Jeffery Woodke kidnapped in October 2016 in Niger by jihadist groups and then taken to Mali.
“The hostages were recovered safely by the Nigerien authorities before being handed over to the French and American authorities,” said Nigerien Interior Minister Hamadou Souley.
“It’s just incredible, it’s something we’ve been waiting for for two years. For him, the nightmare is over, and for his family too. He will be able to get on with his life, even if it will be difficult for him to forget this,” said Dubois’ sister, Canèle Bernard.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expressed its “immense relief” after having had “reassuring news on several occasions in recent months, and again very recently”. “He seemed to be in good shape, but we were concerned about the length of his captivity,” said RSF secretary general Christophe Deloire.
The editorial staff of the daily Libération, with which Dubois worked, also expressed their “immense joy”. They said they were looking forward to celebrating his return with him.
“The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said in a tweet after speaking to the journalist on the phone: “I have just spoken with Olivier Dubois, who is a member of the Libération daily. “I have just spoken with Olivier Dubois: he is in good health. Immense relief for the nation, for his family and fellow journalists.”
The former hostage paid tribute to Niger for its “know-how in this delicate mission” and to France, even if the compensation for his release has not been disclosed, as is customary in this type of case.
The authorities in Niamey were certainly involved in the discussions – at least on logistical issues, to facilitate the exfiltration of the hostage, explained concordant sources.
In a video on 5 May 2021, Olivier Dubois explained that he had been kidnapped on 8 April 2021 in Gao, in northern Mali, by the Groupe de soutien à l’islam et aux musulmans (GSIM), the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel, linked to Al-Qaeda.
“He was going to Gao to interview a jihadist leader. We know today that he was trapped by thugs who then handed him over to the JNIM,” said Wassim Nasr, a specialist in jihadist issues at France 24.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, said on 10 December 2022, during a trip to Côte d’Ivoire, that France was doing “everything possible to allow the release” of the French journalist.
Olivier Dubois worked for the French newspapers Libération, Le Point and Jeune Afrique. He was the only French hostage in the world since the release in October 2020 of Sophie Pétronin, also kidnapped in Mali.
DS/lb/abj/APA