French Hostage Released After 1,381 Days In Mali

Armed Islamist extremists kidnapped Sophie Pétronin within the metropolis of Gao in December 2016. Pétronin, now 75, was operating a charity for kids affected by malnutrition.

Malian politician Soumaïla Cissé was additionally launched after being held for almost seven months, the nation’s president’s workplace mentioned in a tweet.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron was “immensely relieved” to study of Pétronin’s launch, in response to a press release issued by the French authorities.

“The President of the Republic particularly thanks the Malian authorities for this launch,” the assertion mentioned. “He assures them of France’s whole will to assist Mali within the struggle it’s waging with perseverance in opposition to terrorism.”

Pétronin’s nephew, Lionel Granouillac, advised CNN affiliate BFM TV on Tuesday that his aunt had been launched after being held captive for 1,381 days. It was solely on Thursday that the governments of Mali and France formally confirmed she and Cissé had been freed.

Pétronin’s son, Sébastien Chadaud-Pétronin, was within the nation’s capital, Bamako, able to greet his mom. He advised France 24 on Tuesday that he was fearful about what state he would discover her in.

“I look forward to finding somebody sick, very weak. I hope she will nonetheless see, I do not suppose she will stand,” he mentioned. “It doesn’t matter what state she is in, I do know she continues to be lucid. I’m wanting ahead to seeing her once more.”

CNN’s Angela Dewan and Simon Cullen contributed to this report

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