“The hour is serious, we are celebrating a very sad anniversary”, lamented Friday, April 8 on franceinfo Canèle Bernard, the sister of Olivier Dubois, journalist captured a year ago – to the day – by a jihadist group in Mali. She wished “sound the alarm” in front of “this captivity that sets in” and lack of communication from the government.
“We have no information, when we ask questions, the government reaffirms its total commitment to free Olivier Dubois, but no information is given to us”she said, while the Quai d’Orsay recalled on Thursday that the “discretion” was here “essential requirement”in matters of kidnapping for terrorism.
1 year.
Our family is growing every day and our voice must carry even more #olivierdubois !#media #hostage #Sahel #Mali #France #journalism #JYLeDrian #EmmanuelMacron @EliseLucet @SamuelEtienne @GillesBouleau @I AM https://t.co/15MreaND6a— Olivier Dubois Family Journalist (@O_DuboisFamille) April 7, 2022
“We have the impression that he may be a forgotten hostage”, regretted Canèle Bernard. To quell this feeling and raise awareness of her brother’s situation, she and her loved ones started a petition on Change.org which has garnered more than 82,984 signatures, so far. Canèle Bernard thus invited “everyone, anyone who wants Olivier Dubois, who is interested in his situation, to return to sign the petition” for “to be an actor at our level of the liberation of Olivier Dubois”.
“Now we are asking the government to do everything in their power to be able to release Olivier as soon as possible”, she launched. Although the video, released last month on social networks, showing a man who appears to be the French journalist, gave hope to his family, Canèle Bernard is now waiting for him to be released and “came back physically in front of us” to be reassured. “We are torn every day, every day, between anguish and hope”she summarized.