Bamako — In a major victory for regional security cooperation and Moroccan diplomacy, four Moroccan truck drivers abducted in northeastern Burkina Faso earlier this year were successfully freed on the evening of Sunday, August 3, 2025, the government of Mali announced.
The drivers, who were kidnapped on January 18, 2025, near the Burkina Faso–Niger border, had been held by the terrorist group “Islamic State in the Sahel,” a brutal offshoot of Daesh. Their release marks the end of a harrowing months-long ordeal and stands as a testament to the power of international collaboration in the fight against terrorism.
In a televised statement, the Malian government confirmed that all four Moroccan nationals were rescued unharmed, following a sophisticated intelligence operation. “The Republic of Mali’s government informs the national and international community that four Moroccan truck drivers kidnapped… were released unharmed,” the official communiqué stated.
The operation was the result of close coordination between Mali’s National Agency for State Security and Morocco’s General Directorate of Studies and Documentation (DGED). From the earliest hours of the kidnapping, Moroccan intelligence services worked with determination and professionalism, combining expertise with regional partners to track and eventually secure the drivers’ safe return.
This joint success underscores Morocco’s growing regional influence and its steadfast commitment to the protection of its citizens abroad. It also highlights the strategic depth of Rabat’s security institutions and the effectiveness of Morocco’s counterterrorism partnerships in the Sahel region.
The Moroccan government expressed deep gratitude to the Malian authorities for their cooperation and reaffirmed its dedication to safeguarding Moroccan nationals, wherever they may be.
The safe release of the drivers is being widely welcomed across Morocco as a national relief, and it further reinforces Morocco’s reputation as a capable and dependable actor in regional security affairs.
BY: The Times Union
