An elderly Perth doctor who had been held captive in West Africa after being kidnapped in Burkina Faso has been released more than seven years later.
Kenneth Elliott, now aged 88, was abducted with his wife Jocelyn in January 2016 close to the Niger border by a group believed to have links to Al Qaeda.
Jocelyn Elliott was released after about three weeks.
In a statement, Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed Dr Elliott had been released “safe and well” and had been “reunited with his wife Jocelyn and their children”.
“The Australian Government, like the Elliott family, has worked tirelessly toward Dr Elliott’s release,” Ms Wong said in a statement.
“We acknowledge the strength and resilience Dr Elliott and members of his family have shown through the most difficult of circumstances.”
Ken and Jocelyn Elliott are originally from Perth but have lived since 1972 in the town of Djibo where they ran a medical clinic, near the borders with Niger and Mali.
The family have requested privacy, but issued a statement via the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“We wish to express our thanks to God and all who have continued to pray for us,” they said.
“We express our relief that Dr Elliott is free and thank the Australian government and all who have been involved over time to secure his release. We also continue to pray for those still held and wish them freedom and safe return to their loved ones.
“At 88 years of age, and after many years away from home, Dr Elliott now needs time and privacy to rest and rebuild strength. We thank you for your understanding and sympathy.”
Back in 2016, after Jocelyn Elliott’s release, the family also called for the release of Dr Elliott, saying he had “served the community of Djibo and the Sahel for more than half his lifetime”.
At the time, the Malian militant group Ansar Dine had said the couple were taken by jihadists from the “Emirate of the Sahara”, which was said by experts to be a branch of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Their abduction coincided with a jihadist attack in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, which left at least 29 people dead.
The couple were snatched in Baraboule, near Burkina Faso’s borders with both Niger and Mali, the Burkina Faso government said at the time.
News of the initial kidnapping spurred an outpouring of support for the couple from the people of Djibo, with hundreds of students holding placards reading “Free Elliott” on the streets.