French Journalist Freed in Mali Reunites With Family in Paris

Olivier Dubois, a French journalist kidnapped by an al-Qaeda-linked group in Mali in 2021, was reunited with his family near Paris on Tuesday, March 21.

Footage from French President Emmanuel Macron shows the reunion at Villacoublay Airport, where Dubois was also embraced by the president.

“After 710 days of captivity in the Sahel, immense relief to finally find you. Welcome back to France, Olivier Dubois,” Macron wrote.

Dubois was kidnapped in April 2021 in Gao by members of Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM) while working as a freelancer.

On Monday, Dubois and US aid worker Jeffery Woodke, who was taken captive in Niger in 2016, addressed reporters after their release.

Dubois was the last French national held hostage abroad, according to media reports. Credit: Emmanuel Macron via Storyful