Austrian woman kidnapped by unknown persons in Niger Crime News

Residents and local media say the victim is a 73-year-old man taken from Agadez.

An Austrian woman was kidnapped in Niger, the first time a European citizen was captured in the country after the army seized power in 2023.

Austria’s Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs said on Sunday that its embassy in Algeria, which is also responsible for Niger, had been informed of the kidnapping of an Austrian woman in Agadez and had contacted local authorities.

A Nigerian security source told Reuters news agency that the woman was picked up by unknown persons in a four-wheel drive vehicle located on the edge of the Sahara desert in the Fada district of Agadez.

Residents and local media group Air-Info Agadez said the victim was Eva Gretzmacher, who had lived in Agadez, 900 km (560 miles) from the capital Niamey, for 28 years.

According to information gathered by Air-Info, armed kidnappers came to Gretzmacher’s house on Saturday evening, forced his bodyguard to open the door at gunpoint and forced Gretzmacher into a car.

“(She) is known for her social commitment (and) in 2010 she created a skill center that initiates various projects, especially in the fields of education, women’s empowerment,” reports Air-Info.

Gretzmacher, 73, supported educational programs and aided local non-governmental organizations in a variety of sectors, including environmentalism and the arts.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria is asking for help from its counterpart in Niger. It also communicates with regional authorities.

So far, Niger’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has not made a statement about the incident.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

Growing security threats

Niger has been battling armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS (ISIS) for years. Security threats have increased since the military overthrew the country’s democratically elected government July 2023.

After seizing power, the military expelled French and US forces from the country Russian mercenaries trying to maintain stability.

Despite promises to restore peace, the military’s ability to improve Niger’s security has been questioned amid rising attacks by armed groups.

Niger is one of the West African countries struggling with armed insurgencies spread It has killed thousands and uprooted millions over the past 12 years from Mali and Burkina Faso.

Before last year’s coup, Niger was seen as one of the last democracies in Africa’s Sahel region that Western powers could partner with to defeat the insurgency.