Deal reached to free UAE hostages in Mali, sources say

A deal has been reached to free two citizens of the United Arab Emirates who were kidnapped in Mali by al Qaeda-linked insurgents, with the group receiving a substantial ransom payment in return, as reported by four sources to Reuters on Thursday. The hostages are expected to be flown back to the UAE, according to two of the sources. The total ransom payment was approximately $50 million, to be provided by the UAE, as mentioned by three sources. Additionally, two sources indicated that an Iranian hostage was also released. This agreement may offer Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) a critical financial boost as they increase pressure on the Malian government by enforcing a fuel blockade, resulting in school closures and long petrol queues in Bamako. Despite this development, official representatives for the UAE and Mali have not yet commented on the situation. Mali has been grappling with insurgent groups associated with Islamic State and al Qaeda for over a decade, following a military coup in 2021. While the military leaders have promised to enhance security measures, JNIM remains active, carrying out frequent attacks and extending its control over areas surrounding urban centers. JNIM has engaged in extensive kidnapping operations targeting foreigners to fund its activities in West Africa, according to the U.S. crisis-tracking organization Armed Conflict Location & Event Data. Data from ACLED reveals that the central Sahel region typically sees two to four foreign abductions annually. In August, JNIM released four Moroccan truck drivers who had gone missing in January while traveling from Burkina Faso to Niger, as confirmed by a diplomatic source at the time. REUTERS