'No official update from…government': Families of Indians kidnapped in Mali
What's the story
Three Indian nationals were kidnapped in Mali, West Africa, on July 1. The victims include Prakash Chand Joshi from Rajasthan, Amaralingeswara Rao from Telangana, and P Venkataraman from Odisha. Suspected terrorists linked to Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, had stormed the Diamond Cement Factory in the Kayes region and abducted the three men. The JNIM has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack, but it has been linked to various attacks in the region recently.
Family pleas
Wives of the victims speak
Suman Joshi, Prakash's wife, said he was "forcibly taken by armed men" from the factory. She added there has been no contact since the incident and urged the Indian government to intervene. "We initially thought it might be a network or electricity issue...But on July 2, our daughter received a call from the company's HR informing us that he had been kidnapped," she told TNIE. According to the family, he joined the factory as general manager on June 5.
Conflicting reports
Venkataraman's mother told...
Amaralingeswara Rao's wife Venkataramana also confirmed she last spoke to him on June 30 and is yet to receive any official update from authorities. Meanwhile, Venkataraman's mother P Narasamma was told by a company official that her son was "in police custody" but later learned he may have been abducted. The Diamond Cement Factory, where the kidnapping took place, is run by Prasaditya Group and employs foreign technical staff.
Terrorism hotspot
Sahel region major global terrorism hotspot
The Sahel region—including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—has witnessed rising violence since 2012 due to political instability and militant Islamist groups. The Global Terrorism Index names the region as a major global terrorism hotspot, accounting for over half of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide. Nearly 400 Indians are said to be living and working in Mali. During the time of the kidnapping, the Indian government expressed "deep concern" and urged the Malian government to take all necessary steps for their return.