Sahel kidnappings surge as JNIM targets foreigners in Mali, Niger

Kidnappings of foreigners rose sharply in the Sahel in 2025, with Mali and Niger accounting for most cases and al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, identified as the main driver. Data cited from the conflict monitor Acled shows 30 separate kidnapping events affecting foreigners by the end of November, with the full-year total likely higher. A BBC Monitoring report details how abductions have hit tourists, humanitarian workers, and expatriate laborers, including Bosnian traveler Marin Petrović, who says he was taken on a road in Mali and held for about 50 days before being released in late October without ransom. Other high-profile cases include Austrian aid worker Eva Gretzmacher and U.S. civilian pilot Kevin Rideout, both kidnapped from their homes in Niger. The report also finds Chinese nationals comprise the largest share of kidnapped foreigners across Africa in the tracking, with many taken in Mali’s gold-rich regions as Chinese companies expand operations amid high gold prices. Analysts cited in the report say ransom and economic pressure are key motives, including pressure on Mali’s military government and foreign investment.