Austrian woman kidnapped in Niger already in Libya

An Austrian woman and a Swiss citizen have arrived in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi following their release from captivity in Niger, according to reports citing anonymous official sources. The two women, who had been held hostage for approximately 21 months, landed in the port city on Wednesday evening. Their arrival marks the end of a prolonged detention that began in early 2025. Neither the Austrian nor the Swiss government issued immediate statements confirming the transfer, though previous communications indicated that complex procedures were still underway before the hostages could be handed over to their respective diplomatic missions. The Austrian national, identified by authorities as Eva G., was 73 years old at the time of her abduction. She disappeared on the evening of January 11, 2025, when armed men broke into her home in the desert town of Agadez. Witnesses stated that the intruders forced her into a vehicle and drove away. Local media initially suggested that common criminals carried out the kidnapping before passing the victim to a terrorist organization. The Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a regional affiliate of Al-Qaeda, denied involvement in the incident shortly after it occurred. A second woman, a Swiss national identified in media reports as Claudia Abbt, aged 69, suffered a similar fate. She was taken from her apartment in Agadez during the night of April 13, 2025. Speculation emerged that the two women were held together during their captivity, although officials from Niger, Austria, and Switzerland remained largely silent regarding the specifics of their detention. The lack of confirmed information about the captors or their demands persisted throughout the period of their disappearance. Eva G. had lived in Agadez, located on the edge of the Sahara Desert, for nearly three decades. Since 1996, she operated a private cultural association called Amanay. Her son, Christoph Gretzmacher, described her as well-connected within the local community. According to social media profiles, she focused on the education of young people in fields such as music, health, ecology, and tailoring. In 2010, she constructed a dedicated center for these activities. Gretzmacher announced his mother’s freedom via Facebook on Wednesday evening. He wrote that she had spent almost 21 months in captivity and that both women were currently aboard a plane heading to Benghazi. A video released by the Libyan television channel al-Masar showed the two women appearing physically weakened. In the footage, both women expressed gratitude to Khalifa Haftar, the deputy commander-in-chief of Libya’s armed forces, and his son, Saddam, for their release. Reports indicate that Haftar oversaw the operation resulting in their freedom. Eva G. stated in the video that she had been held for a year and nine months, while Abbt said she was happy to be free. The security situation in the Sahel region has deteriorated significantly in recent years. Niger has faced lethal violence from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for approximately ten years. Other organizations, including Boko Haram, operate in the area, alongside Russian mercenaries. According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), more than 10,000 people died in politically motivated violence in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger alone in 2025. Beyond the kidnapping of Western citizens and foreign workers, militant groups have engaged in economic warfare. Attacks and sabotage target industrial production sites, mining locations, and transit routes. Recently, there has been an increase in attacks against Chinese infrastructure and companies operating in Niger and Mali. The security environment has tightened further following military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger between 2021 and 2023. Consequently, the number of abductions of foreign nationals has risen sharply. The Austrian Foreign Ministry had previously issued a travel warning for Niger due to the threat of attacks and kidnappings. In September, the ministry disclosed that it had received encouraging information regarding the potential release of the hostages, noting that the process was complex and dangerous but not yet concluded. The handover of the women to their respective countries’ representatives required the completion of necessary administrative and logistical steps in Libya. Libya itself remains divided, with two competing administrations vying for control. One is a United Nations-recognized government led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, while the other is a rival authority in the east supported by General Haftar. The country continues to struggle with instability following the 2011 uprising that ended the rule of Moammar Gaddafi. The border between Libya and Niger stretches hundreds of miles through the Sahara Desert, connecting to Algeria and Chad. The release of the two women adds to a record number of kidnappings recorded in the Sahel region recently. While the specific group responsible for holding them remains unclear, the involvement of high-ranking Libyan military figures in the rescue operation highlights the cross-border nature of the crisis. The families of the victims have expressed relief, though official channels have maintained a cautious silence pending formal confirmation and repatriation procedures. The women’s physical condition upon arrival was noted as frail, reflecting the duration of their confinement.