Colombian nun released in Mali after 4 years in captivity

Abductions by al-Qaeda and ISIL-affiliated groups have been frequent as Mali struggles to contain violence.

A Colombian nun who was abducted in 2017 by fighters in Mali has been freed.

Gloria Cecilia Narvaez was released on Saturday after more than four years of captivity. She was kidnapped by the Macina Liberation Front, an al-Qaeda-linked group, in February 2017 near the border with Burkina Faso.

“The presidency of Mali salutes the courage and bravery of the nun. This liberation is the crowning achievement of four years and eight months of combined efforts by several intelligence services,” the presidency said in a statement.