Austria’s foreign ministry said that unknown assailants kidnapped a female citizen in the military-run West African state of Niger.
AFP confirmed the incident and said they were aware of the “possible abduction of an Austrian woman” in Agadez, which is 900 km (559 miles) from the capital Niamey.
The woman was reportedly forced into a 4×4 vehicle by unidentified people in Fada district, Agadez, on the edge of the Sahara desert, Reuters news agency reported.
The victim, named Eva Gretzmacher, is a development worker in her mid-70s and has lived in Niger for more than two decades, according to a local media site, Air information Agadez.
Niger has not yet commented on the incident.
Air Info reported that the kidnappers showed up at Mrs. Gretzmacher’s house with a gun and forced their way inside. They did not take anything else, reports say.
Ms. Gretzmacher reportedly led projects in the fields of education, health, women’s empowerment and culture.
The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it is cooperating with the EU delegation and the authorities on the ground.
Niger has been struggling with an Islamist insurgency for years.
The military junta is under pressure for failing to contain militant attacks, one of its justifications for ousting democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.
Niger, along with its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, is struggling with attacks by groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
After the coup, Niger called on France and other Western powers to withdraw their military bases and form a security alliance with junta-led neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso.
