Farako’s sub-prefect Ali Cissé was released by the Jnim jihadists. He was handed over to Malian authorities on Tuesday. He had been held hostage for three and a half years by the al-Qaeda-linked Islam and Muslim Support Group. The transitional authorities have not officially communicated on this release, the outlines of which are unknown. Those close to Ali Cissé are rejoicing, starting with his colleagues from Syltmat, the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Ministry of Territorial Administration, which was mobilized for his release. And who remains mobilized for the other Malian hostages still detained.
“ It’s an immense feeling of joy, testifies Olivier Traoré, secretary general of Syltmat. Our comrade suffered, his family suffered, so today we are happy to hear that he has been released. We are very happy, very happy to receive him and to have him among us. »
The authorities did not release any details on the circumstances of his release. Olivier Traoré explains that he does not have more. ” No, at the moment we don’t have any details. What is certain is that since his abduction, the comrades, the unions have invested themselves with the authorities, with the religious, to recover our comrade. The authorities have always reassured us that it would come. Indeed, for Ali Cissé it came. »
Olivier Traoré looks in front of him: if the time is for rejoicing, it remains for the mobilization for all the other hostages still detained, like the prefect of Gourma Rharous, Drissa Sanogo, kidnapped in May 2020. “ There is our comrade the prefect Drissa Sanogo and there are other Malians, in particular certain general secretaries of communes and certain agents of the territorial administration. We do not forget them. From now on, it is therefore their release that Olivier Traoré hopes for: “that this is our great hope! For all the other hostages! »
Public administration personnel, soldiers or teachers, several dozen Malians are still detained by the Jnim, linked to al-Qaeda, without their exact number being known.
>> To read also: Mali: the sub-prefect Ali Cissé released after three and a half years in the hands of the Jnim