Eduardo González
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the kidnapping of a Spanish citizen in North Africa, specifically in Algeria.
According to an official report by Foreign Ministry on Thursday night, “various reliable sources confirm that a Spanish citizen is currently being held against his will in North Africa.” “The Government is actively working to clarify all aspects and achieve a resolution,” it added. Sources close to the information have specified to the Efe agency that the Spanish citizen was kidnapped on Wednesday by a group linked to jihadism in southern Algeria.
At first, there was talk of the kidnapping of a group of tourists, including a Spanish female citizen, by the Islamic State Sahel near the city of Tamanrasset. The rest of the group would have been released, but the kidnappers would have detained the woman and taken her to Mali. However, it was later confirmed that the kidnapped Spaniard is a man.
Last Sunday, the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs reported the kidnapping of a citizen of its country, Eva Gretzmatcher, in the region of Agadez (Niger), close to the Algerian border.