An al Qaeda-linked group in West Africa’s Sahel region has reportedly taken two Russian citizens hostage in Niger, according to a video released by the group on Friday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The video, shared by Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), features two captives who identify themselves as Russians. They claim they were working for a Russian company in southwest Niger when they were captured.
Speaking in English with a Russian accent, one of the captives, who identified himself as Yuri, said he is a geologist. The other, named Greg, mentioned that he had arrived in Niger a month ago. Both said they were taken hostage in Mbanga, located about 60 km (40 miles) west of Niamey, the capital of Niger. However, they did not specify the date of their capture.
The video, which was filmed in front of a traditional West African cloth backdrop, does not include any ransom demands.
A security source in Niger, who wished to remain anonymous, indicated that the pair were captured around a week ago while visiting gold mines in the Tillaberi region. This area is known for its rich gold deposits and the presence of Islamist militants linked to both al Qaeda and Islamic State, who are active in the region’s insurgencies.
Since the military coup in Niger last year, the junta, similar to the regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso, has expelled Western forces and strengthened military and business ties with Russia.
