The government of Mali has announced the safe release of four Moroccan truck drivers who had been kidnapped in January 2025 in northeastern Burkina Faso, near the Niger border.
In a statement read on national television on Monday, Malian authorities confirmed that the drivers were freed unharmed on the evening of Sunday, August 3, 2025. The Moroccan nationals had been held for over six months by militants affiliated with the Islamic State in the Sahel Province, also known as the Sahel branch of Daesh.
“The Republic of Mali’s government informs the national and international community that four Moroccan truck drivers kidnapped on January 18, 2025, in northeastern Burkina Faso near the border with Niger, were released unharmed,” the statement read.
The release followed a joint operation by Mali’s National Agency for State Security and Morocco’s General Directorate of Studies and Documentation (DGED), whose coordinated efforts were credited for the successful outcome. Authorities praised the professionalism and determination of the two agencies, noting that they had been working on the case since the first hours following the abduction.
While further details about the operation remain undisclosed for security reasons, the incident highlights the ongoing threat posed by armed extremist groups operating across the Sahel region. It also underscores growing security cooperation between Mali and Morocco amid rising kidnappings and violence in parts of West Africa.
Written By Rodney Mbua
