“The fact that Operation Barkhane is over must become a positive factor in obtaining his release”estimates the secretary general of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Christophe Deloire, this Sunday August 21 on franceinfo, while the independent journalist Olivier Dubois has now been held hostage in Mali for 500 days by the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM), the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel, linked to Al-Qaeda.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assures that the withdrawal of French soldiers from Mali “does not in any way diminish the mobilization of France” to get him released.
franceinfo: Are you worried about the situation?
Christopher Deloire: The situation is worrying because it lasts. Florence Aubenas, in Iraq in 2005, had been hostage for 157 days. Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot, 124 days. A little later, Didier François, Nicolas Hénin and others: ten months. Hervé Ghesquière and Stéphane Taponier are 547 days in Afghanistan. This means that 500 days for Olivier Dubois is already not far from the record. And this is obviously worrying given the weak diplomatic relations between France and Mali.
France ensures that the end of Operation Barkhane and the departure of French soldiers will not limit its means of action to free Olivier Dubois. What do you think ?
This is a question that we officially posed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this week, we were told that the withdrawal of Operation Barkhane from Mali in no way diminishes France’s mobilization and that Franco-Malian relations had no impact on the case. That’s really what we hope for. It is a jihadist group which detains Olivier Dubois in Mali, a jihadist group which was, like others, the target of Operation Barkhane. So the fact that Operation Barkhane is over must become a positive factor in obtaining his release.
It is often said that negotiations with kidnappers, when they take place, must remain secret. So, the current silence may be related to this?
Obviously the secret is legitimate and has an efficiency factor. Afterwards, what is important for families, associations like Reporters Without Borders, is to have elements to ensure that the device is intense. We know that France, throughout contemporary history, is a country whose authorities do not let go of hostages. There were countries like Japan, the United States, which historically did not have the same behavior towards their hostages at all. That is something that absolutely must be maintained. It is necessary that beyond the reason of State on these international relations, a matter like this, remains on top of the pile of the priorities of the authorities.