Media Citation
Kidnapping of foreigners soars in Africa's lawless Sahel region | BBC News
Source: BBC News | 2 March 2026
Petrović had become the latest victim of a concerning trend for foreign travellers and expatriate workers in West Africa's Sahel region.
His story is not unusual. In 2025, growing insecurity and new jihadist tactics led to a notable increase in high-profile abductions of foreign nationals in the Sahel.
The latest data from Acled, an independent global conflict monitor, shows a considerable increase in the kidnapping of foreigners in Mali and Niger in 2025, compared to previous years.
There were 30 separate kidnapping events affecting foreigners by the end of November, and the number for the whole year is likely to be even higher.
