MALI: Swedish man held hostage by al-Qaeda regains freedom 6-yrs after

Relief has come the way of a Swedish man identified as Johan Gustafsson after he regained freedom six years after he was abducted by al-Qaeda militants in Timbuktu, northern Mali, in November 2011 along with a South African and a Dutch.

Immediately after he was freed, Johan took a flight back to Sweden where he was once again reunited with his family.

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Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom revealed that much when she told reporters late on Monday showing a picture of the ex-captive surrounded by his happy relatives.

“I welcomed him home, and I can say that he is in good health and is holding up well, given the circumstances,” she said.

When asked, Wallstrom refused to provide details about how Sweden secured Gustafsson’s release, saying only that it occurred “a couple of days ago” and was the result of “several years of efforts” by police, politicians and diplomats, as well as Swedish and international authorities.

 

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