Islamic militants have freed an Australian woman who was kidnapped with her husband last month in Burkina Faso, reports the BBC.
Jocelyn Elliott and her husband Ken, a medical doctor, were snatched on 15 Jan. by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) from Djibo, near the border with Mali.
The couple, who are in their 80s, were taken on the same day that AQIM killed 29 in the capital, Ouagadougou, including six Canadian Christians doing humanitarian work and a US missionary.
The release of Mrs Elliott into Niger was revealed by the country’s president, Issoufou Mahamadou, on 6 Feb.
Mrs Elliott thanked the people of Burkina Faso for their support and said, “I’d lke to be reunited with my husband soon so we can return to Djibo and continue our work there”.
Residents of Djibo have been running a social media campaign calling for the release of the couple, who have provided medical services in the town since the 1970s.