After more than a decade of protracted conflict in the central Sahel, insecurity continues to spread both within the region and beyond its borders. While the kidnapping of foreigners has been a persistent threat since the early 2000s and has been mainly carried out by al-Qaeda-affiliated groups, a new trend is emerging. In recent weeks, the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) has actively carried out and sponsored high-profile kidnapping operations, particularly targeting foreigners who command higher ransom fees than local abductees.
Reflecting on these developments, ACLED’s Senior West Africa Analyst, Héni Nsaibia, said:
“We’re seeing a trend toward more westerners being kidnapped in the Sahel. It seems that ISSP is rewarding armed groups for kidnapping foreigners who command higher ransom fees than local abductees. This comes as ISSP expands the territory it controls and wields greater influence across the region.”
For further information please see ACLED’s Q&A: Is the Islamic State Sahel Province kidnapping more foreigners?
Details of 2025 kidnappings
On 11 January 2025, an unidentified armed group suspected of being connected to ISSP abducted an Austrian woman in Agadez, Niger (Tchirozerine, Agadez). The kidnappers entered her house at gunpoint and took her away. No further information is available.
On 14 January 2025, an armed group composed of five to seven Algerian and Malian men abducted a Spanish citizen near Assekrem, Algeria (Tamenghasset, Tamanrasset). The kidnappers crossed into Mali the following day, passing through Tinzaouatene before being spotted near Inguijal, around 100 kilometers north of Menaka. The victim’s Algerian guide and companions were quickly released. The armed group was motivated by a reward offered by ISSP militants to kidnap and deliver the hostage to them. The hostage was freed in the Menaka region through the mediation of the FLA group on 21 January and was subsequently handed over to Algerian authorities.
On 18 January 2025, ISSP militants abducted four Moroccan drivers aboard four trucks between Dori, Burkina Faso (Dori, Seno) and Tera (Niger). Morocco official media said that on 20 January 2025, the drivers were released; however, local, trusted sources said that they are still in captivity.
On 1 February 2025, an unidentified armed group abducted two Chinese nationals working for the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation in the area of Faringa, near Agadem, Niger (N’Gourti, Diffa). At the time of writing, it is not clear what the affiliation of the armed group is.
Details of 2018 kidnapping as per ACLED coding notes
On 11 April 2018, presumed Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (as ISSP was named at the time) militants abducted a German aid worker near the village of Haguaye Peul in Niger (Ayerou, Tillaberi). The vehicle he was traveling in together with his associates was set on fire. The abductee was released in December 2022.
ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) is an independent, impartial, international non-profit organization collecting data on violent conflict and protest in all countries and territories in the world.
