Swede held by Al-Qaeda in Mali since 2011 freed
A Swede who had been held hostage by Al-Qaeda in Mali since 2011 has been freed and has returned home, the Swedish government said Monday, but the fate of a fellow hostage from South Africa remains unknown.
"I'm very pleased to announce that Johan (Gustafsson) has today been able to return to Sweden and be reunited with his family," Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom told reporters late Monday as she showed a picture of Gustafsson surrounded by his family after he arrived home.
"I welcomed him home, and I can say that he is in good health and is holding up well, given the circumstances," she said.
Wallstrom refused to provide details about how Sweden secured Gustafsson's release, saying only that it occurred "a couple of days ago" and was the result of "several years of efforts" by police, politicians, diplomats and Swedish and international authorities.
