A Spanish man kidnapped in North Africa earlier this month has been freed by a Tuareg rebel alliance in northern Mali, the group confirmed late on Monday.
The man, identified as Gilbert Navarro, was reportedly abducted in southern Algeria on January 17 by an Islamist group and transported to northern Mali, according to Spanish newspaper El País. While Spain’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the kidnapping on Friday, it did not verify these specific details.
In a post on X, Attaye Ag Mohamed, a leader and spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), stated that Navarro had been rescued by FLA forces. He added that the former hostage would spend the night under their protection before being handed over to Algerian authorities. Another FLA spokesperson, Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, also announced the rescue on X, confirming Navarro’s good health and promising further details.
This development comes amidst ongoing tensions between Spain, Morocco, and Algeria over the Western Sahara, a territory Spain controlled until 1975. The region is now claimed by Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which advocates for its independence. The geopolitical backdrop adds another layer of complexity to the situation surrounding Navarro’s release.
