Libya, the UAE, and Mali | Following negotiations for the release of two European hostages
An investigation revealed by the French newspaper Le Monde, reported by the Italian Nova Agency
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The investigation points to a potential role played by military leaders in eastern Libya, the United Arab Emirates, and a financial intermediary in the negotiations that led to the release of two European hostages—kidnapped in Niger in 2025—who were subsequently brought to Benghazi on October 21.
According to the investigation, Saddam Haftar, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army, oversaw the negotiations through a Malian businessman named Cherif Ould Tahar. Tahar is reportedly linked to allegations of drug trafficking and acting as a broker for hostage-release deals, and he maintains an extensive network of contacts across the Sahel region.
A multi-million dollar ransom and potential Emirati funding
The investigation highlights suspicions regarding Emirati financing for the operation, including the payment of a ransom demanded by the kidnappers—an affiliate of the "Islamic State in the Sahel." Citing two well-informed sources, *Le Monde* reported estimates suggesting the ransom amounted to approximately $10 million per hostage, though there has been no official confirmation of the exact sum or the party that provided the funds.
The hostages—an Austrian national, Eva Gritzmacher, and a Swiss national, Claudia—were reportedly held in the Ménaka region of northern Mali before being transported to southern Libya, eventually arriving in Benghazi on October 21, the investigation states. From the Release of an American to That of Two European Hostages
According to the newspaper, a negotiation channel was established between Saddam Haftar and a mediator from Mali last July, aimed at securing the release of American missionary Kevin Rideout, who had been kidnapped in Niamey in October 2025.
The investigation links these developments to a meeting held in Washington in late June between Saddam Haftar and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, noting that the release of the American citizen was a priority for the administration of President Donald Trump.
Following Rideout’s release on August 14, the same negotiation channel was utilized regarding the two European hostages. An initial attempt in September stalled due to disagreements over the ransom amount, but an agreement was eventually reached that led to their release.
A Mediator Shrouded in Suspicion and Ties to Armed Groups
The investigation highlights Cherif Ould Tahar, whose name has appeared in previous cases involving drug trafficking and the mediation of the release of foreign hostages—including the 2009 incident involving a plane loaded with cocaine that landed in the Malian desert, and the 2016 case involving the transport of approximately two tons of cannabis into Niger.
The report also notes that an international arrest warrant was issued for him in 2013 on charges including terrorism and international drug trafficking—a warrant that was subsequently rescinded in 2015—and points to his past financial ties to the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). According to the investigation, Ould Tahar’s name has also been linked to previous negotiations for the release of hostages, including French national Sophie Pétronin, former Malian opposition leader Soumaïla Cissé, and Italian priests Pier Luigi Maccalli and Nicola Chiacchio.
Regional Rivalry for Influence in the Sahel
The investigation draws a connection between the alleged Emirati funding of the operation and Abu Dhabi’s efforts to bolster the influence of Saddam Haftar in the Sahel—a region currently witnessing intensifying regional rivalry, alongside a surge in the activity of armed groups and cross-border smuggling networks.
Should this information be confirmed, the operation would extend well beyond the scope of a humanitarian mediation effort to secure the release of hostages; it would instead highlight a potential intersection between Libyan military relations, local intermediary networks, and foreign funding within the context of regional security issues.
Nevertheless, the allegations regarding Emirati funding, the value of any ransom, and the specific terms of the understandings reached between the parties involved remain officially unconfirmed, as the underlying information is based on an investigation by *Le Monde* and sources who have requested anonymity.
#Libya #Benghazi #UAE #Mali #Sahel #Hostages #SaddamHaftar
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