DAKAR, Senegal — For Olivier Dubois, a French journalist, the opportunity to interview a leader of JNIM, an affiliate of al-Qaida operating within the Sahel region, appeared to be a remarkable assignment. However, during his travel to Gao, northern Mali, in April 2021, the situation took a dark turn when he was abducted. Dubois, who was working for publications such as Libération and Jeune Afrique, spent a staggering 711 days in captivity, during which he endured the harsh realities of being chained to a tree, consuming dried goat meat, and plotting his potential escape.
After nearly two years of turmoil, Dubois has shared details of his harrowing experience in a book launched in France that draws extensively from notes he secretly kept during his time with his captors, scribbled on whatever paper he could find. “One of the primary factors that enabled me to resist was the identity of being a journalist,” Dubois stated during his first interview with English-language media since his return. He considered it crucial to keep gathering information, asking questions, and maintaining the illusion that he was still conducting work.
The Sahel region, which includes Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has faced drastic changes in recent years due to military coups that led to governance under military juntas grappling with escalating extremist violence. These governments now face a growing trend of kidnappings that have become a common tactic for the extremist factions operating in the area.
Upon his release, an investigative report by French media surfaced, unveiling that Dubois’s local guide had connections to French intelligence, who allegedly utilized him to pinpoint the extremist leader Dubois aimed to interview. Dubois acknowledged that he was aware of the risks involved in his mission but chose to place too much trust in his fixer, ignoring the red flags.
Dubois remains uncertain about the exact circumstances of his kidnapping, indicating he believes it might have stemmed from a betrayal. However, he is still unsure of the motive behind it. “I have had no contact with my fixer since my release,” he remarked.
Statistics indicate a significant rise in kidnappings across the Sahel region in recent years, as reported by the U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). Between 2017 and 2025, JNIM has been implicated in the majority of 1,468 kidnappings recorded in the Sahel and Benin, with their operations heavily funded through ransom payments, and deepening their control over local communities through fear.
While held captive, Dubois recalled being promised a “quick release” if his family and government complied with the captors’ demands. Ultimately freed on March 20, 2023, in Agadez, Niger, details surrounding the release—specifically if a ransom was paid—remain undisclosed. Although French President Emmanuel Macron publicly celebrated Dubois’s freedom on social media, he provided little information regarding the conditions of his release.
Dubois noted that he was also kept in the dark regarding the intricacies of his release, explaining that he had been told that ransom amounts varied based on nationality. As a French citizen, he was informed that his worth was set at 10 million euros, while the value of a South African was pegged at 50 million euros.
Having reported on numerous hostage situations across the region, Dubois was acutely aware that his journey towards freedom might not be straightforward. To cope with the distressing circumstances, he fixated on escaping but after several failed attempts—one of which led to mock executions—he opted to read the Quran. This act fulfilled two purposes: keeping his mind engaged and allowing him to better understand his captors to foster a more humane environment during his treatment as a hostage.
To his surprise, engaging with the Quran sparked a spiritual journey within him. “I transitioned from an atheist to an agnostic, and I thought I would stop there,” he explained. “But reading the Quran inspired me to explore other religious texts. My time in captivity has marked the start of a journey that could eventually lead me to a greater understanding of God—or not.”
With the release of his book titled “Prisonnier du désert, 711 jours aux mains d’Al-Qaïda,” which translates to “Prisoner of the Desert, 711 Days in the Hands of Al-Qaida,” Dubois expressed his hope of returning to journalism and moving forward from his experiences. Despite this yearning, he admits that the memories of his ordeal still linger. “Writing this was a painful labor,” he shared. “Initially, after completing the book, my instinct was to distance myself from the experience, holding onto the hope that time would allow me to move past it. Yet, I remain uncertain whether that is genuinely achievable.”
