CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) – Four Moroccan truck drivers, who were kidnapped while transporting electrical equipment from Casablanca to Niamey, Niger, have been released in Niger. The drivers had gone missing while traveling over a 3,000-mile (4,950-kilometer) route, which took them from Morocco to the Nigerian capital. Their disappearance was reported on a Saturday after they had been on the road for more than 20 days, raising concerns about the increasing insecurity in the region. This incident highlights the dangers faced by individuals operating in the Sahel, an area that has become a hotspot for various militant groups.
The secretary-general of Morocco's Transport Union confirmed their release, stating that Moroccan authorities were informed by the embassy in Burkina Faso late on Monday. The union's secretary-general, Echarki El Hachmi, mentioned that the drivers are safe in Niamey and are expected to be brought back soon. However, he noted that their trucks and cargo remain missing, adding to the ongoing worries about safety and security for drivers in the area.
The Moroccan truck drivers had opted not to travel with a military escort on their route between northeastern Burkina Faso and western Niger, a decision that has drawn criticism given the volatile situation. They went missing while crossing the Burkinabe-Nigerien border, specifically between the towns of Dori in Burkina Faso and Tera in Niger. Notably, truckers are generally discouraged from traveling this route without adequate security measures due to the high incidence of abductions and attacks by armed groups.
According to the Moroccan official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the drivers were abducted by an unidentified armed group and taken to a remote forest. There were no indications linking a specific group to the kidnapping, and Moroccan authorities refrained from commenting on whether a ransom was involved in their release.
The Sahel region has seen a worrying expansion of affiliates of both the Islamic State and al-Qaida, exacerbated by recent military coups and instability in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. These militant organizations have taken advantage of local grievances to bolster their ranks and strengthen their presence in the area. In light of increasing violence and deteriorating security conditions, local governments have shifted their strategies to combat insurgencies, relying more on mercenary groups like Russia's Africa Corps instead of collaborating with Western security partnerships.
According to United Nations reports, the Sahel faces pervasive threats from terrorism and organized crime, specifically from militant groups that have wreaked havoc across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Recently, these groups have been responsible for thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of people. In the year leading up to 2024, data compiled by the non-profit organization Armed Conflict Location & Event Data indicated that 439 people were abducted or forcibly disappeared across the three countries, with a significant proportion of these kidnappings attributed to the Islamic State Sahel Province and the al-Qaida-linked Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).
