A nightmare that lasted 7 years. An 88-year-old Australian doctor, Kenneth Elliott – kidnapped by a jihadist group in Burkina Faso in 2016 – he was freed. This was announced by the Canberra government. Elliott and his wife had been kidnapped by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists. The woman was released the following month.
The surgeon has returned home, Australia’s foreign minister told reporters Penny Wong. “Dr. Elliott is safe and reunited with his wife Jocelyn and their children,” Wong explained. “I am very happy that his release has been secured and that he is safe again with his family,” she added.
The kidnapping of the couple had been claimed by the jihadist group Ansar Dine. In July 2017, the Al-Qaeda organization in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) released a video showing six hostages, including Kenneth Elliott.
Prior to their capture, the couple from Perth, Western Australia, had run the only medical clinic in Djibo, a town near the border with Mali, since 1972. The two had also carried out humanitarian activities in Mali and Niger.