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The Austrian foreign ministry says a female citizen has been taken by unknown assailants in the military-ran West African country, Niger.<\/p>\n
It confirmed the incident to AFP and said they were aware of the “possible kidnapping of an Austrian woman” in Agadez which is 900 km (559 miles) from the capital Niamey.<\/p>\n
The woman was reportedly forced into a 4×4 vehicle by unidentified individuals in Fada district, Agadez, on the edge of the Sahara Desert, reported Reuters news agency.<\/p>\n
The victim, named Eva Gretzmacher, is a development worker in her mid-70’s and had lived in Niger for over two decades, according to local media site, Air Info Agadez<\/a>.<\/p>\n Niger has not yet commented on the incident.<\/p>\n Air Info reported kidnappers showed up at Ms Gretzmacher’s house with a gun and forced their way in. They did not take anything else, reports said.<\/p>\n Ms Gretzmacher is said to have run projects in the areas of education, health, women’s empowerment and culture.<\/p>\n The Austrian foreign ministry said they are working with the EU delegation and authorities on the ground.<\/p>\n Niger has been battling an Islamist insurgency for years.<\/p>\n The military junta is under pressure for failing to curb militant attacks, one of its justifications for deposing democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.<\/p>\n Niger, along with its neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, is grappling with attacks from groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS.<\/p>\n Since the coup, Niger has urged France and other Western powers to withdraw their military bases and formed a security alliance with junta-led neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso.<\/p>\nYou may also be interested in:<\/h2>\n