Two women from Austria and Switzerland have been freed after lengthy periods in captivity in Niger, following extensive diplomatic efforts to secure their release amid growing concerns over kidnappings in the Sahel region.
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said on Thursday that the Austrian woman, an aid worker identified only as Eva G, had been received by the country's crisis team. Switzerland’s foreign ministry separately confirmed the release of the Swiss national.
Officials have not revealed who held the women or how their release was secured.
Two officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the women were taken to Benghazi in eastern Libyaafter being freed, where they were handed over to representatives of their respective countries.
The officials said the operation was overseen by Saddam Haftar, deputy commander-in-chief of the forces controlling eastern Libya. His father, Khalifa Haftar, leads the forces, which also control much of southern Libya, including territory bordering Niger.
Neither the Austrian nor the Swiss government has publicly commented on Libya's reported involvement in the operation.
Meinl-Reisinger said Austria had worked closely with Switzerland to secure the women's safe release.
“We are all very relieved that Eva G. is free again after more than 21 months. This time was an unimaginable burden for her and her family,” she said.
The Austrian foreign ministry described the effort to free her as a “long, complex, and highly sensitive diplomatic process”.
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis announced the Swiss woman's release in a post on X, saying she was returning home but withholding her identity.
His ministry said a task force involving police and intelligence services had been established following her abduction and remained in regular contact with Austrian authorities. It declined to provide further details, citing privacy concerns.
Eva G, in her 70s, was kidnapped in Agadez in January 2025. According to Nigerien media, she had lived in the city for more than 20 years, working as an aid worker.
The Swiss woman, a long-term resident of Niger, was abducted in the same city in April 2025.
Agadez, in central Niger, lies hundreds of kilometres from the capital, Niamey. A historic trading hub on the edge of the Sahara, the city has long served as a crossroads for migrants, traders and smugglers travelling north towards Libya and Algeria.
Few details have emerged about the groups responsible for the abductions or whether any demands were made.
Niger has battled jihadist insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State for more than a decade. The unrest, which spread following a Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali in 2012, has engulfed large parts of the central Sahel, including neighbouring Burkina Faso.
Years of violence have killed thousands and displaced millions of people across the region.
Analysts say Niger’s security situation has deteriorated since the military overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum's elected government in July 2023.
The junta seized power with a pledge to restore stability, but its ability to contain armed groups has come under growing scrutiny as attacks have intensified.
Since the coup, Niger has ordered French and U.S. troops to leave the country and strengthened ties with Russia. It has also joined forces with military-led Mali and Burkina Faso to establish the Alliance of Sahel States.
Kidnappings appeared to rise across Niger in 2025, with foreign nationals, aid workers and local residents among those targeted.
Armed groups operating in the Sahel frequently use abductions to demand ransoms or gain leverage. Governments rarely disclose whether money is paid or concessions are made to secure the release of hostages.
Both women are expected to arrive in their home countries in the coming days and reunite with their families.
Austrian and Swiss authorities have not indicated whether they will disclose further details of the operation, leaving key questions about the kidnappers and the circumstances of the women's release unanswered.
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