TIMBUKTU, Mali — A Swiss Christian missionary abducted more than a year ago by gunmen is reportedly in good health, according to a video released recently by Al-Qaida.
Beatrice Stockly, who lived in an area of Timbuktu known to be a home for jihadists, was kidnapped in January 2016 during a raid on her home. It was her second abduction — the first occured in 2012 and lasted 10 days, according to The Christian Post.
The two-minute video released by Al-Qaida shows a woman with a black veil over her head who identifies herself as Stockly, notes that she is in “good health” and greets her family. Her voice was barely audible, according to the Post.
In an Open Doors USA report released Jan. 11, Mali ranked No. 32 on the list of countries where Christians are most persecuted, rising 12 spots from No. 44 in 2016.
“This is directly linked with Islamic radicalism and violence,” Open Doors reported.
“Since the Islamist takeover of northern Mali in mid-2012 and the subsequent French-led effort to restore Malian authority to the entire country in early 2013, civil liberties and political rights have yet to return to pre-2012 levels in both the north and south of the country.” (TAB)
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