Kidnapped Edith Blais and Boyfriend Freed – It is not clear who was responsible for the kidnapping of Blais and her Italian boyfriend Luca Tacchetto, who went missing while traveling to a location where jihadist groups have kidnapped Westerners in the past.
A Canadian Italian couple were kidnapped in Burkina Faso in December 2018 have been released in Mali to the United Nations peacekeeping mission. Both of them appear to be in good health, a mission spokesman said on Saturday.
Canadian Edith Blais and Italian Luca Tacchetto were reported missing while traveling through Burkina Faso, a country where jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State are active and have been known to kidnap Westerners in the past.
La Canadienne Edith Blais et l'Italien Luca Tacchetto, enlevés il y 15 mois au Burkina Faso, sont arrivés à l'aéroport de Bamako au Mali après avoir recouvré la liberté dans le nord-est du Mali. Voici les images de notre correspondant Kaourou Magassa. pic.twitter.com/85bpOtO3iI
— TV5MONDE Info (@TV5MONDEINFO) March 14, 2020
Deux otages occidentaux, la canadienne Edith Blais et l’Italien Lucas Taccheto viennent d’être libérés. Ils ont été enlevés en 2018 au Burkina. Les précisions de notre journaliste Anthony Fouchard. pic.twitter.com/TtJxfcqrBi
— TV5MONDE Info (@TV5MONDEINFO) March 14, 2020
No one has claimed responsibility for Blais and Tacchetto’s kidnapping. The motive behind the kidnapping and if any ransom was paid is also not known.
Olivier Salgado, a U.N. mission spokesman told Reuters that the couple were released to the peacekeepers on Friday evening and would be handed over to Malian authorities later on Saturday.
He shared a picture of Blais and Tacchetto wearing U.N. human rights t-shirts and sweatpants. Both are smiling in the photograph and seem to be healthy.
Hastags: #EdithBlais #Mali #Kidnapping #alQaeda #IslamicState
Sources: Montreal Gazette, Twitter
Queries: Paandu,Paandu News,News Paandu, edith blais,blais,edith,edith blais scomparsa in burkina faso,canadian edith,disparition,missing canadian edith blais was reportedly kidnapped and taken to mali,canadian,canada,Édith cochrane,missing,blais:,blais’,Édith,and,notizie,missing canadian,burkina faso,missing canadian edith blais was kidnapped taken to mali human rights watch,news,taken,kidnapping,kidnapped,Kidnapped Edith Blais and Boyfriend Freed,
