Chad: Kidnapped Franco-Australian conservationist released by captors ⁰

A French-Australian hostage kidnapped in eastern Chad has been released and is in “good health”, the Chadian Prime Minister announced in a tweet Sunday.

“The kidnapped Franco-Australian hostage… has just been found and taken to safety in good health,” said Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo, congratulating “the defence and security forces for this quick and successful action”.

The individual had been kidnapped on Friday “in the afternoon of 28 October”, Chadian authorities said Saturday, adding they had “mobilised all security and human means to get hold of the kidnappers”.

“The hostage was released in the province of Tibesti (North), in an area bordering Niger and Libya by our defence and security forces,” Ayoub Abdelkerim Abdoulaye, governor of the eastern province of Wadi Fira where the abduction took place, told AFP. 

Chadian authorities also reported they worked in Oryx Park on behalf of the Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF), a wildlife conservation NGO.

The park is located in the Ouadi Rime-Ouadi Achim wildlife reserve which extends over 77,950 square kilometres.

The French foreign ministry said Saturday it was “aware of the kidnapping of one of our citizens in Chad” and it was “in contact with their family, and also with the authorities in Chad, in order to secure their speedy release”.

Source: AFP