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Austria’s Foreign Ministry says a citizen has been kidnapped by unknown assailants in the military-ruled West African country of Niger.
He confirmed the incident to AFP and said they were aware of the “possible kidnapping of an Austrian woman” in Agadez, 900 kilometers from the capital Niamey.
The woman was reportedly forced into a 4×4 vehicle by unidentified individuals in the Fada district of Agadez, on the edge of the Sahara desert, Reuters news agency reported.
The victim, named Eva Gretzmacher, is a development worker in her 70s and had lived in Niger for more than two decades, according to the local media site. Agadez aerial information.
Niger has not yet commented on the incident.
Air Info reported that the kidnappers showed up at Mrs. Gretzmacher’s house with a gun and forced their way in. Nothing else was taken, according to reports.
Mrs. Gretzmacher is said to have led projects in the fields of education, health, women’s empowerment and culture.
The Austrian Foreign Ministry said they are working with the EU delegation and authorities on the ground.
Niger has been fighting an Islamist insurgency for years.
The military junta is under pressure for failing to curb militant attacks, one of its justifications for overthrowing democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.
Niger, along with its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, is dealing with attacks by groups linked to Al Qaeda and ISIS.
Since the coup, Niger has urged France and other Western powers to withdraw their military bases and has formed a security alliance with neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, led by a military junta.
