World News | World Health Organization Employee Abducted in Northern Mali
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. A World Health Organisation employee was abducted by unidentified assailants in northern Mali, the UN agency's director-general said on Tuesday.
Bamako (Mali), Jan 24 (AP) A World Health Organisation employee was abducted by unidentified assailants in northern Mali, the UN agency's director-general said on Tuesday.
Dr. Mahamadou Diawara was kidnapped from his car in the town of Menaka on Monday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference.
Also Read | Earthquake Data Hints Earth's Inner Core ‘Stopped Rotating’, Debate Rages.
“Health workers should never be a target,” Tedros said.
WHO is working with authorities to investigate the abduction.
The West African nation has been battling a decade-long jihadi insurgency that has killed thousands. Jihadi groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have used hostage-taking for ransom as a way to fund operations and expand their presence.
Diawara has been working with WHO in Menaka for three years, providing medical care to communities that are often remote and face security risks and violence, the UN said. The driver of his car was attacked but not abducted, and he is recovering.
The kidnapping comes two months after a German priest was taken from Mali's capital, Bamako. Rev. Hans-Joachim Lohre was abducted in November while preparing to celebrate Mass.
There are multiple armed groups in the Menaka region, but IS has a significant presence there, conflict analysts say.
“While unclear if the group is responsible for the kidnapping, there should be a concern of him being transferred to the group in exchange for money,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Centre for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank focused on economic and social policies. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)