Kidnapped Viennese Woman in Niger: Still No Trace

That's what was said on Monday from family circles in a phone call with the APA. "The silence is a bit frightening," said the family member, who does not want to be named. A crisis team was set up at the Foreign Ministry in Vienna on Monday.

The crisis team is coordinating the measures to solve the case, it was said in the afternoon from the ministry. "So far, we have no information about the kidnappers. A search operation by local authorities is currently underway on site."

Efforts on Several Levels

A representative of the Austrian embassy in Algiers, who is also responsible for Niger, is on her way to Niger, it was further announced from the Foreign Office. In addition, the embassy has submitted a letter to the Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking for support. There is also ongoing exchange with the EU member states represented in Niger, especially Germany, and the EU delegation in the capital Niamey. The Foreign Office is also in contact with regional authorities in Niger. This includes the governor of the Agadez region, where the kidnapping took place. The northern desert area of Agadez covers half the area of Niger,

The family member described the course of the kidnapping as "amateurish", it did not suggest that "super Salafists have invaded". According to the relative's information, it was five tall, about 30-year-old men who gained access to his 73-year-old mother's house in Agadez. There was a scuffle with the house's guard. A shot was fired from a pistol that the kidnappers had with them. The shot allegedly injured a kidnapper in the leg. The Viennese woman was then forced into a car without much use of force and taken away.

The kidnapping did not seem "very professional". "We also don't know if the kidnappers know who they have kidnapped." This gives hope on the one hand that it is not Islamist terrorists. On the other hand, there is fear that the kidnappers could act thoughtlessly. The fact that the five men wore turbans and spoke Hausa - in addition to the official language French the most spoken language in Niger - is not particularly noticeable and does not allow any conclusions. "Much is speculation, we know nothing," it was said to the APA from the family.

Hoping for Clues

The 73-year-old has been active in Niger since 1996 with the private cultural association Amanay she founded and is well connected in Agadez on the edge of the Sahara, including with the authorities. According to information on Facebook, she is committed to the education of young people, in areas such as music, health, ecology or crafts like tailoring. In 2010, she built her own competence center for this purpose. Her aim is to foster encounters between cultures, religions, and people, according to a family member. She is very popular in the region: "Everyone is affected." The woman stays in the country every year from September to April.

A wave of solidarity has swept through the press and the population following the news of the kidnapping. Many potential witnesses have been questioned by the gendarmerie. The hope now is for clues that could identify the perpetrators, their location, and their motives. Once the perpetrators are traced, negotiations for a release could then begin, the family hopes.

"I know that everything is being done to get this information," said the family member, who is familiar with the situation on the ground, confidently. However, without clues, "combing the desert" makes the task difficult. The Austrian Foreign Ministry and the embassy in Algiers have provided "very good care", and the exchange is running smoothly. A further crisis meeting on the case will be held at the Foreign Office in Vienna on Monday afternoon.

Military Coup

According to reports, the security situation in Agadez has not deteriorated since the military coup in Niger in July 2023 and the withdrawal of the French soldiers stationed there. The 73-year-old woman was also cautious and well-informed due to her good connections. Against this background, the kidnapping case represents a kind of litmus test as to how seamlessly the military government in the capital Niamey controls the entire country.

A travel warning for the entire Niger has been in place for almost seven years by the Austrian Foreign Ministry. "All travel to Niger is warned against," it says on the ministry's homepage. "Austrians are urged to leave Niger. The security situation for foreigners is currently extremely critical. Attacks and kidnappings can occur at any time, even in the capital Niamey."

According to the family member, the now kidnapped Viennese woman was warned in 2021 by a foreign intelligence service that there were threats of kidnapping against her. However, these were extremely vague and the backgrounds unclear. The Viennese woman decided to stay in the country at the time, the warnings did not come true.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.