“Her release is a great relief. I send my warm feelings to her family and relatives. I thank the authorities Mali. The war against jihadism in the Sahel continues, “Macron wrote on Twitter.
Petronin was released along with the Malian politician Soumaila Cisse, who was kidnapped in March, and two Italian hostages. The jihadists were to release the hostages in exchange for the release of more than 100 of their comrades from prison, reports AFP.
Sophie Petronin has French and Swiss nationality. From 2004, she led the charity Aid for Gao, operating in the north-eastern part of Mali. The building of her association was attacked by jihadists as early as 2012. Then she managed to escape through the back door and get to Algeria with the help of local diplomats.
During her almost four-year imprisonment, Petronin made two appearances in the tapes published by the kidnappers. At one of them, she asked for help from the President of France Emmanuela Macrona. The 75-year-old’s son contacted the kidnappers through a local agent. The jihadists reported that they were ready to release his mother for ransom.
Petronin was the last French hostage in the world. At the time of her abduction, she was suffering from cancer and malaria.
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