Eva Gretzmacher and Claudia Abbt released after 21 months in captivity

Eva Gretzmacher, a 76-year-old Swiss national, and Claudia Abbt, a 69-year-old Austrian, have been freed after being held captive for nearly two years by militants in the Sahel region. The two women, who were serving as humanitarian and community aid workers in Niger at the time of their abduction, were handed over to authorities in Benghazi, Libya, following a complex diplomatic intervention. Their release marks the end of an ordeal that began in early 2022 and involved multiple borders across West and North Africa.

The kidnappings occurred separately in the Agadez region of Niger, with one woman taken in January and the other in April 2022. Security reports linked the abductions to the Islamic State in the Sahel Province. During their 21 months of captivity, the women were believed to have been moved from Niger into northern Mali before eventually being transported across the desert into Libyan territory. Details regarding the conditions of their long-term detention have not yet been fully disclosed.

The successful release was reportedly facilitated through the intervention of the family of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army. Upon their arrival in Benghazi, Gretzmacher and Abbt expressed their gratitude to the Haftar family for their role in securing their freedom. Diplomatic officials from both Switzerland and Austria have since confirmed the safety of their citizens and expressed appreciation for the intensive international cooperation that led to this outcome.

The two women are currently undergoing necessary medical and administrative procedures in Libya as they prepare for repatriation to their respective home countries. Their case highlights the ongoing security challenges in the Sahel, a region that has faced increasing militant activity and political instability, including a military takeover in Niger in 2023. While the specific terms of the negotiation remain private, the return of the two aid workers is seen as a significant breakthrough for European diplomatic efforts in the region.