Pope Francis meets with a Colombian nun rescued from captivity in Mali. The woman was kidnapped by Islamist militants four years ago, reported Sunday, October 10. Reuters…
The Vatican said in a statement that Pope Francis met with Sister Gloria Cecilia Narvaes at St. Peter’s Basilica shortly before celebrating Mass there.
Gloria Cecilia Narvaez was abducted in February 2017 near the border with Burkina Faso by militants of the Makina Liberation Front (MLF, known as the Makina Liberation Movement or Katibat Makina) – an Islamist group in Mali associated with Al-Qaeda, a terrorist group banned in the Russian Federation ).
Over the years, there were sporadic reports of her safety in captivity. Earlier this year, two Europeans who escaped from captivity reported that she was fine. In March, her brother received a letter from her confirming that she was still alive. BBC…
The nun was released after petitions for help from France, Colombia’s vice president and foreign minister, Marta Lucia Ramirez, said. Efforts to rescue the nun were also announced by the interim President of Mali, Assimi Goita.
“The President of Mali applauds the courage and courage of the nun. This release is the culmination of four years and eight months of joint efforts by several intelligence services, ”the Malian President said in a statement.
Kidnappings have been a lucrative source of cash for Islamist groups in the Sahel region of West Africa, where they rebel against national armies, French troops and United Nations peacekeepers.
The military coup in Mali took place amid civil unrest on August 18, 2020. Then the rebels captured the country’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keith, Prime Minister Bubu Cisse, Chairman of the National Assembly of Mali Musa Timbine and Minister of Economy and Finance of the country Abdoulaye Daffa. A number of high-ranking officials were also captured.
The opposition demanded Keita’s resignation, the military called for a political transformation in the country leading to a general election. In May 2021, Mali Transition President Ba Ndau and Prime Minister Moktar One resigned and stepped down. The situation in the country remains unstable, with a number of opposing groups operating in it.