A Swiss woman has been kidnapped in Niger’s Agadez, authorities say

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A Swiss citizen has been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Niger’s city of Agadez, according to local authorities and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

This is the second citizen of a Western country to be kidnapped in Agadez this year.

The woman was taken from her home in the Dagamanet neighborhood late Sunday, according to a statement by the governor of Agadez, Brig. Gen. Ibra Boulama Issa, who chaired an emergency meeting Monday on the case.

The Swiss foreign affairs department said on X it had been informed of “the kidnapping of a Swiss citizen in Niger” and said investigations were under way.

According to local media outlet Air Info, the Swiss national has lived in Agadez for several years with her Nigerian husband.

No armed group has claimed responsibility for the abduction. Niger has long has faced attacks from armed groups including jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State organization.

In January, an Austrian woman living in Niger was abducted by unidentified men and has not been found.

Niger is ruled by a military junta that took power in 2023 after deposing the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. The new authorities ousted Western partners including the United States, which had soldiers in Niger, and forged a new security and diplomatic alliance with Russia.

By BABA AHMED
Associated Press