The newest kidnapping in the unrest-ridden nation of West Africa was the kidnapping of two Red Cross employees on Saturday in northern Mali, according to the organization.
Mali, which has been experiencing a security and political crisis since jihadist and rebel insurgencies erupted in the nation’s north in 2012, is rife with kidnappings.
Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group-affiliated jihadists have intensified their activities in central Mali and the neighboring countries of Niger and Burkina Faso.
More than two million people have fled their homes in the area, and thousands of civilians, police officers, and soldiers have been killed.
“We confirm the kidnapping of two of our colleagues this morning”, the ICRC said, adding that the incident took place between Gao and Kidal in the north of the country.
The ICRC, which has been in the country for 32 years, reiterated that it is “neutral, independent and impartial”, and asked that no speculations be made about the incident “so as not to hinder its resolution”.
“The ICRC deplores (the incident) and demands the release of its collaborators,” Aminata Alassane, a public relations officer with ICRC, told AFP.
The agency’s recently appointed director of operations, Martin Schuepp, visited Mali last year, saying “crime is rife” in the country, which posed a security challenge for the group.
“In spite of all that, we’re doing everything we can to reach those in distress, including in the remotest areas of the country.”
