Sophie Pétronin, a Malian opposition politician and two Italians were released in Bamako, Mali, on Thursday night, ending their lengthy captivity in the hands of Islamist insurgents.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Reuters/AFP/sb
Pétronin, 75, ran a charity for malnourished and orphaned Malian children. She was abducted near the northern city of Gao on December 24, 2016.
The hostages were met with jubilant scenes as they descended from a plane at Bamako airport. Pétronin’s son Sebastian Chadaud-Pétronin, who is based in Switzerland, hugged her, crying out “Maman! Maman! Maman! Maman!” in videos and photographs shared on social media.
“Deep down, I was certain that I would come back,” the elderly aid worker said. “That I wouldn’t die in between. And I told myself, don’t give too much importance to death. Because you don’t know where, when or how it’s going to happen.”
“So I told myself ‘It doesn’t matter. Go ahead, stay strong, hang on,’” she continued. “It’s what [my son] said. It’s what he said in a video: ‘Hang on, hold on.’ It’s what I did.”
She told reporters that she intends to return to Gao to ensure that the children’s aid organisation she headed continues to operate. “I made a commitment for the children,” she said. “I’m going to go to France, Switzerland and then I’m going to come back and see what’s going on here.”
Other hostages
Among the other hostages released was Malian opposition politician Soumaïla Cissé. The 70-year-old politician, who served as finance minister in the 1990s, was kidnapped by gunmen while campaigning for legislative elections in the northern region of Timbuktu in March.
The two other hostages are Pierluigi Maccalli, an Italian priest and missionary who was taken in September 2018 in Niger, close to the Burkina Faso border, and Nicola Chiacchio, who is thought to have been a tourist when he was captured.
The release of the hostages announced earlier by Mali’s presidency, follows a tense few days as reports that Malian authorities had freed scores of suspected militants over the weekend fuelled expectations of an imminent prisoner swap. It was unclear whether or not a ransom was paid.
The Malian government said in a statement that the release was obtained thanks to efforts by Mali security services, and international partners, but gave no further details.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in a message on Twitter that he spoke with Pétronin, and that he will welcome her when she returns to France on Friday. Italy’s foreign ministry praised the collaboration between their intelligence and government personnel and Malian authorities.
The release is a significant victory for Mali’s interim leadership who are overseeing an 18-month transition back to civilian rule after the August 18 overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
The West African nation has struggled to find stability since 2012 when jihadist fighters hijacked an insurrection by Tuareg separatists. The militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have used Mali as a launch pad for attacks in the region.
A previous version of this article referred to Pétronin as having Swiss citizenship; according to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, she is a French national only, and does not hold Swiss nationality.
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Local partners of Swiss aid agency killed in Mali attacks
This content was published on
Employees of a local Malian partner of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation are among the victims of attacks that claimed at least 40 lives.
Swiss impose sanctions on those undermining peace in Mali
This content was published on
The measures include the freezing of assets of as yet unnamed people and a ban on travel for individuals or entities acting to undermine peace, security and stability in Mali. “At present there are no entries on the list of persons and entities targeted by these measures,” the Swiss government said in a statement. The…
This content was published on
The Cameroonian army has freed twelve European hostages, including seven Swiss nationals, announced the Cameroonian authorities on Wednesday.
This content was published on
Following the recent abduction of a Swiss aid worker in Sudan, we ask whether it is safe for individuals to work in crisis countries.
This content was published on
Al-Qaeda’s Mali branch has a video of six foreign hostages, including Swiss missionary worker Beatrice Stöckli, US-based monitoring group SITE said.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.