Olivier Dubois, a French journalist, recounts his harrowing 711-day captivity by JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Mali. Kidnapped while on his way to interview a group leader, Dubois details his experiences of desert confinement, survival strategies, and the psychological toll of captivity. His story sheds light on the complex realities of hostage-taking in the Sahel region and the impact on individuals who endure such ordeals.
Olivier Dubois, a French journalist, was kidnapped by JNIM, a branch of al-Qaida in Africa's Sahel region, while on his way to interview one of the group's leaders in northern Mali FILE- French journalist Olivier Dubois arrives at the VIP lounge at the airport in Niamey, Niger, on March 20, 2023. , Olivier Dubois, a French journalist, secured a rare interview with a leader of JNIM, an al-Qaida’s affiliate in the Sahel .
“One of the main factors that helped me resist and survive was telling myself that I am a journalist,” Dubois told The Associated Press in the first interview for English-language media since his release. "Let’s continue to gather information, let’s continue to ask questions and pretend I’m working."
“I’m not sure,” he said of the circumstances surrounding his kidnapping. “I think it was a betrayal. But the motive for the betrayal is not yet clear. I have not spoken to my fixer since I have been released.” Dubois was released on March 20, 2023, in Agadez, Niger, but details of his release, including whether a ransom was paid, remain undisclosed.took to the social platform X to write “Olivier Dubois is free," but he did not elaborate on the conditions of the release.
HOSTAGE JOURNALISM Sahel Mali Terrorism
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