An American aid worker kidnapped in Niger more than six years ago has been released, according to the Biden administration.
The aid worker, Jeffery Woodke, was kidnapped in October 2016 and then was believed to have been taken to neighboring Mali, though U.S. officials told journalists that he’s now in Niamey, the capital, and is being medically evaluated, according to the New York Times.
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“He is safe,” his wife, Els Woodke, told the New York Times. “I don’t yet know if he is healthy.”
“I’m gratified & relieved to see the release of U.S. hostage Jeff Woodke after over 6 years in captivity. The U.S. thanks Niger for its help in bringing him home to all who miss & love him. I thank so many across our government who’ve worked tirelessly toward securing his freedom,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan tweeted on Monday.
The U.S. did not pay a ransom or make any other type of concession, another senior administration official said.
They did not say which terror group held Woodke, though the official referenced “intersecting overlapping terrorist networks in that part of West Africa” that see “kidnapping and hostage-taking as part of their business model frankly, and as a source of revenue and support,” per CNN.
“Jeff was kidnapped while serving people in the Sahel as an aid worker, and I am grateful that he will soon be reunited with his wife, Els, and their family after spending more than six years held hostage by terrorists,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “The United States extends our deep appreciation to the Nigerien government, which was a critical partner in helping to secure his release.”
“I am also grateful for the hard work of dedicated public servants across the U.S. Government who made this possible, including the hard-working patriots of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell based at the FBI, the U.S. military, and of the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs based at the Department of State,” he added.
“We welcome the release of U.S. citizen Jeffery Woodke, who was held hostage in West Africa for more than six years. I spoke with Jeffery’s family today and am pleased they will be reunited soon,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “We are grateful for the extraordinary cooperation of the Government of Niger, as well as the sustained efforts of countless organizations and individuals worldwide that resulted in Mr. Woodke’s release. I have no higher priority than bringing home U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, and we will continue to work relentlessly to secure their freedom around the world.”
Blinken visited Niger earlier this month, where he announced $150 million in new humanitarian aid for the region. He said it “will help provide life-saving support to refugees, asylum-seekers, and others impacted by conflict and food insecurity in the region.”
“We remain committed to keep faith with Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained all around the world, and there is no higher priority for this Administration than our work to bring them home,” Biden said.
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A French journalist, Olivier Dubois, who went missing in Mali in April 2021, was also released on Monday.
“We are overjoyed and hugely relieved. We had received reassuring news about Olivier Dubois on several occasions in recent months, and again very recently. He seemed to be in good shape but the length of his captivity worried us. We thank the French authorities for doing what was necessary to obtain his release. It is to France’s credit that it does not abandon its citizens when taken hostage, and works to get them freed,” nonprofit organization Reporters Without Borders said in a statement regarding Dubois’s release.
