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US missionary released following kidnap in Niger, Christian group says
American missionary Kevin Rideout has been released after more than nine months in captivity in Niger, according to SIM International, the Christian organisation he worked for. His release is significant because it follows a kidnapping in a region affected by Islamist militant violence and highlights the continued security risks facing civilians and foreign nationals in the Sahel.
Rideout was abducted by three armed men outside his home in Niamey in October and reportedly taken towards the militant-affected Tillaberi region. SIM International said he was in good health and in the care of US officials, while the New York Times reported he was with the FBI; the circumstances of his release and the identity of his captors remain unclear. A pilot as well as a missionary, he had worked in Niger for 19 years, and is expected to reunite with his family.
In short
- US missionary Kevin Rideout has been released in Niger.
- He spent more than nine months in captivity.
- Details of his captors and release remain unclear.
Explained simply
Niger is a country in the Sahel, a belt of Africa south of the Sahara. Its capital, Niamey, lies in the west of the country, near Tillaberi, a region where armed Islamist groups have been active.
Kevin Rideout is an American missionary and pilot who had worked in Niger for 19 years for SIM International, a Christian organisation. The group says he was taken from outside his home in Niamey; the identities of the people who abducted him have not been established.
Kidnappings and militant violence have made parts of the Sahel dangerous for residents and foreign nationals. Rideout’s case has drawn attention to the risks faced by people living and working in the region.