Soumaila Cisse, Mali’s main opposition leader who earlier this year was held hostage for six months by extremists and was considered a leading contender in next year’s presidential election, has died in Paris. He was 71.
Cisse died after contracting COVID-19, his eldest son, Bocar, told reporters on Friday.
“The doctors did everything to keep him alive, but that’s the way of God’s will,” he said.
Photo: AFP
The death throws Malian politics into new uncertainty. Cisse was the runner-up in the past three presidential elections and many thought that he had the best chance of finally winning next year.
He was taken hostage by al-Qaeda-affiliated militants in March while campaigning for legislative elections in his hometown of Niafunke in northern Mali.
Following public pressure, the Malian government obtained his freedom in October, along with that of French and Italian hostages, in exchange for the release of about 200 militants from Malian prisons.
It was not known whether a ransom had been paid, although extremist groups have long funded their operations with such payments from European governments.
In an interview after being released from captivity, Cisse told France’s TV5 Monde that his captors moved the hostages by motorcycle, boat and even camel.
He said that he was held in more than 20 locations.
While he said that he was not abused physically or verbally, he described extremely difficult conditions in the desert, saying that he lacked medication he needed.
Cisse said that he could listen to the radio and was angered by news of the August military coup that overthrew Mali’s democratically elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Mali’s interim leader, Sem Ba N’Daw, expressed his condolences to Cisse’s family and supporters on Friday, saying millions of Malians “are in shock” at the news.
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