Swiss and Austrian aid workers freed after separate kidnappings in Niger
Two European women held for more than a year after being kidnapped separately in Niger have been freed and taken to Benghazi, eastern Libya. Their release matters amid persistent kidnappings and militant violence in Niger and the wider Sahel, though officials have not explained how it was secured.
The women are Swiss aid worker Eva Gretzmacher, 76, who had lived in Niger for many years, and Austrian community worker Claudia Abbt, 69. They were abducted in Agadez in January and April last year; their captors and any demands remain unknown, and reports linking the kidnappings to Islamic State have not been confirmed. Libyan officials said they would be transferred to their respective countries after procedures were completed.
In short
- Two women abducted in Niger have been freed in Libya.
- Eva Gretzmacher and Claudia Abbt were held for over a year.
- Their captors and the circumstances of their release remain unknown.
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Originally published by BBC World as “Two European women held captive for more than a year in Niger freed in Libya”.