A French journalist and an American aid worker who were kidnapped by armed groups in the Sahel region of Africa have finally been freed after years in captivity. Olivier Dubois, a reporter with France-based publications Liberation and Le Point…and Jeffery Woodke, a Christian humanitarian worker from the United States, have now been released. Dubois had gone missing in Mali in 2021, while Woodke was kidnapped in Niger in 2016. Their release was secured following months of efforts by authorities in Niger. Niger Interior Minister Hamadou Souley said the pair had been freed after "several months of efforts" by Nigerien authorities, before being handed over to French and US officials. French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Niger in a tweet and said Mr Dubois was in "good health" after speaking to him.

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