The incident raises alarms about the increasing risks facing foreign workers in West Africa due to rampant militancy and a struggling military junta.
**Austrian Development Worker Abducted in Niger Amid Rising Security Concerns**
**Austrian Development Worker Abducted in Niger Amid Rising Security Concerns**
An elderly Austrian woman was kidnapped in Agadez, Niger, drawing attention to the ongoing security issues in the region.
An Austrian citizen has been abducted by unknown assailants in Agadez, a city located at the edge of the Sahara Desert in Niger. The Austrian foreign ministry confirmed the kidnapping to AFP, indicating that they are aware of the events surrounding the incident involving a female development worker in her mid-70s, identified as Eva Gretzmacher. She has lived in Niger for over twenty years, running various projects focused on education, health, women's empowerment, and culture, as reported by local media outlet Air Info Agadez.
According to information from Reuters, Ms. Gretzmacher was forcibly taken from her home in the Fada district of Agadez, approximately 900 kilometers (559 miles) from the capital city, Niamey. Eyewitnesses reported that the kidnappers, armed with a firearm, broke into her residence and compelled her into a 4x4 vehicle before fleeing the scene. Remarkably, nothing else was stolen from the house.
As of now, Niger’s government has not publicly commented on the kidnapping. The Austrian foreign ministry has stated that they are collaborating with the EU delegation and local authorities to address the situation.
The backdrop to this alarming incident is Niger’s ongoing struggle with an Islamist insurgency, which has intensified in recent years. The military junta currently in power faces significant criticism for its inability to combat rising militant attacks—an issue that was one of the officials’ justifications for ousting democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.
Niger, along with its neighboring countries Mali and Burkina Faso, is fighting against factions affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS. In the aftermath of the coup, Niger’s government has sought to expel French and other Western military forces from the region while forming a security coalition with its junta-led neighbors.
