Security officer of a manganese mine in northern Burkina Faso, near the borders of Mali and Niger, Iulian Ghergut was kidnapped on April 4, 2015 by a jihadist group rallied to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Romania announced on Wednesday the release of the oldest Western hostage still in captivity in the Sahel, the Romanian Iulian Ghergut, kidnapped in Burkina Faso in 2015 by a jihadist group rallied to Al-Qaeda. “He is currently safe on the territory of Romania” where he returned today, said the Romanian Foreign Ministry which, in a statement, praised Morocco for its “significant support” .
On the social network X (ex-Twitter), President Klaus Iohannis thanked the “external partners who supported” Romania “in this difficult undertaking” .
A security officer at a manganese mine in northern Burkina Faso, near the borders of Mali and Niger, Iulian Ghergut was kidnapped on April 4, 2015 by five armed men. His abduction was claimed by the jihadist group Al-Mourabitoune, which soon after joined Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
His mother, who learned the news from television, declared herself “surprised” to the Digi 24 channel after “eight years without news or any hope of seeing again” Iulian Ghergut. “We cried but all that matters is to be happy that he is coming home ,” she added.
At least three Italians and a German are still detained in the Sahel, as well as a South African kidnapped in 2017.
LE MONDE