Two Russian citizens kidnapped by Al Qaeda in Niger

An al Qaeda affiliate in the Sahel region of West Africa has taken two Russian nationals hostage in Niger, the group announced in a video released on August 2.

Hostage taking is common in Africa's Sahel region, largely for economic reasons. (Daily Post)

Video posted on the Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) media platform shows two hostages saying they were captured while working for a Russian company in southwestern Niger.

Speaking in English with Russian accents, both identified themselves as Russian and said they had been taken hostage in Mbanga, about 60 kilometers west of the capital Niamey. They did not say when they had been kidnapped.

It is unclear when and where the video was filmed. There is no ransom demand in the video.

In recent years, the border area between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger has been plagued by conflicts and hostage-taking incidents.

Local authorities said the ransom for a hostage in the area could reach 43 million CFA francs (about $70,000) in 2022 and rise to 52.4 million CFA francs (about $87,000) in 2023.

According to experts, the cause of kidnappings is economic gain, not hatred or religious conflict.

The alarming rate of kidnapping in Niger and the region has created fear among farmers and especially foreigners, discouraging them from working, and affecting the movement of goods and travel. This could have “negative impacts on the economy of the entire region,” according to a report by the Global Initiative.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/hai-cong-dan-nga-bi-al-qaeda-bat-coc-o-niger-281271.html