In Mali, two International Committee of the Red Cross employees have been abducted.
According to the organization, the kidnappings happened on a road connecting the northeastern cities of Gao and Kidal, which has long been a flashpoint for violence by Islamic groups.
Since 2012, Mali has been experiencing a security crisis, and kidnappings are prevalent. Reasons for the abductions include demands for ransom and acts of retaliation against government security operations.
A World Health Organization doctor was released from captivity in Mali last month, weeks after he had been taken from his automobile in the Ménaka district. Moreover, in May 2022, gunmen kidnapped three Italians and a citizen of Togo.
The violence has also spread into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, killing thousands and displacing more than two million people in the region.
Source: The Independent Africa