A
couple of days ago four Frenchmen that had been kidnapped in Niger three or so
years ago were released by their captors.
Kidnapping of Europeans became, a few
years ago, a new business line for the many bandits that operate in the vast
and lonely sands of the Sahel and Sahara.
I was, at a given time, involved in
combatting that type of crimes. And it was said, already then, that the French
are always ready to pay ransom money. Therefore, for the armed bandits to kidnap
a French citizen was the best move. There was good money at the end of the
line.
And
this time again, there has been a payment. €20 million is a good sum. It was
paid by a private company, we are told. But for the fellows out there, money is
money, be it from the State or from a deep private pocket.
In
the end, the question that matters is clear: should ransom money be paid to get
kidnapped persons released? The answer is not that simple. At least, for some.
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