American missionary kidnapped in Niger freed after nine months

Soldiers on patrol in Niamey. Kevin Rideout was kidnapped in Niger’s capital and no armed group claimed responsibility for the abduction. Photograph: Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenSoldiers on patrol in Niamey. Kevin Rideout was kidnapped in Niger’s capital and no armed group claimed responsibility for the abduction. Photograph: Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty ImagesNigerAmerican missionary kidnapped in Niger freed after nine monthsKevin Rideout, who was abducted by unknown assailants in Niamey, said to be in good health and in care of US officials

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleAn American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger in October has been released, his organisation has said.

Serving in Mission International said Kevin Rideout “is in good health in the care of US officials” and would soon be reunited with his extended family.

Donald Trump, who claimed to have helped secure Rideout’s release, later said he was “back in United States Custody” on Friday.

The 50-year-old missionary pilot was kidnapped in the west African country’s capital, Niamey, on 21 October by three armed individuals and was probably driven out of town, according to a security official at the time. No armed group claimed responsibility for the abduction. Other details about his rescue remain unknown.

The US president’s administration had made the release of Rideout a priority in its latest strategy on African Sahel states, after years of fighting extremism found limited success. Rideout had been working in Niger for 19 years as a missionary before the incident.

View image in fullscreenThe American missionary Kevin Rideout is said to now be in safe hands. Photograph: Hostage Aid Worldwide“I am proud to announce that Kevin Rideout, a wonderful Christian Missionary, is back in United States Custody,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday. “Kevin, the United States of America looks forward to welcoming you HOME. Glad to have helped!”

Niger has long been the target of attacks by armed groups, including jihadis linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State. A “continually deteriorating security situation” across the country was cited by the military junta that took power in 2023 when deposing the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.

The new authorities ousted western partners, including the US, which had soldiers in Niger, and forged a new security and diplomatic alliance with Russia. One former US base has since been occupied by Russian soldiers.

Read moreTrump described the broader region of west Africa as “the epicenter of Islamist terrorism” in his social media post on Friday, claiming there had been “more deadly attacks in the past year” there than anywhere else on Earth.

Washington has since shifted its focus to coastal west African states including Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, sharing intelligence with local security personnel to prevent extremist threats from spilling southwards from the arid Sahel.

However, the insurgency continues to escalate in the region. In Niger, data from Acled, the armed conflict data aggregator, shows that civilian fatalities rose by nearly 50% in the year after Bazoum was ousted.

Cities and urban centres in the Sahel region have also been increasingly targeted by armed non-state actors as the crisis reaches new dimensions.

The US embassy in Niamey issued a security alert a day after Rideout’s abduction, warning that American citizens “remain at a heightened risk of kidnapping throughout Niger, including in the capital city”.

In June, more than 30 people were killed when gunmen attacked the main airport in Niamey. It was the second attack this year at the airport, a strategic hub that serves as the ruling military’s command, hosting its air force base and most of its drones and aircraft. It is also the headquarters of the Alliance of Sahel States, the regional alliance that brings together troops from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

In April, Mali’s defence minister, Gen Sadio Camara, was killed in his home on the outskirts of the capital Bamako during coordinated assaults staged by insurgents including the west African affiliate of al-Qaida.

Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed reporting