Dec. 26, 2016 – French and Malian security forces have teamed up with local religious leaders in the northern Malian city of Gao to search for a popular 67-year-old French aid worker who was abducted by armed men on Saturday.
The abduction of Sophie Pétronin, a nutritionist who looks after malnourished children, was confirmed on Sunday by France’s foreign ministry, which added that French and Malian authorities were working together “to find and free our compatriot as quickly as possible”.
Nicknamed “Maman Sophie” (Mother Sophie), the Frenchwoman is an institution in the northern Malian city. She has lived there since the early 2000s, working with local NGO Aide à Gao (Aid for Gao). She speaks the local language and is very much a part of the social fabric.