Malian intermediary with drug ties brokers release of Swiss, Austrian hostages in Sahel

A Swiss and an Austrian kidnapped in 2025 by Islamic State in the Sahel were released on October 21, with Cherif Ould Taher, a Malian businessman linked to drug trafficking, acting as intermediary. This follows a similar release of an American in August, indicating a pattern of using criminal networks for hostage negotiations. The involvement of a sanctioned trafficker raises questions about state-criminal collusion and may affect counterterrorism efforts.

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