2011 Timbuktu kidnapping

Stephen McGown, Johan Gustafsson, Sjaak Rijke
Born
South Africa (McGown)
Sweden (Gustafsson)
Netherlands (Rijke)
Known forBeing kidnapped by AQIM militants

Timbuktu three refers to three abductees, South African Stephen Malcolm McGown, Swede Johan Gustafsson and Dutchman Sjaak Rijke, who were all kidnapped on 25 November 2011. A fourth German victim was shot and killed when he refused to climb into the kidnappers' truck.[1]

A unit of the Al-Qaeda's North African branch: al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) abducted the three from a residence shortly after eating lunch at a restaurant in Timbuktu, Mali. Because McGown has dual citizenship, South African & British, the group offered a trade to the British Government for Abu Qatada who was to be deported to Jordan, where he had been convicted of involvement in militant plots.[1]

Following the kidnapping, several videos were released of the three, offered as proof of life.[2]

Rijke was rescued by French forces in April 2015.[3] Gustafsson was released in June 2017,[4] and McGown was released in July 2017.[5]

  1. ^ a b "SA citizens under fire in hot spots". IOL. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  2. ^ "French, Dutch hostages in Mali beg for help". News24. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  3. ^ Hinnant, Lori (6 April 2015). "French forces rescue Dutch hostage in Mali". The Independent. The Independent. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  4. ^ Hannes Lundberg Andersson (26 June 2017). "Kidnappade Johan Gustafsson frisläppt – togs av al-Qaida 2011". Expressen (in Swedish).
  5. ^ "SA hostage in Mali released". 3 August 2017.