French Journalist Kidnapped

In recent news, a French Journalist who disappeared in Mali last month said in a video that aired on social media platforms Wednesday that he had been kidnapped. This French Journalist was kidnapped by a Jidhadist group and pleaded for help from the French authorities. For those who may not know, The primary aim of jihad as warfare is not the conversion of non-Muslims to Islam by force, but rather the expansion and defense of the Islamic state. Senior Allison Brown stated, “For what reason would they kidnap him?”

While this video has raised awareness of the situation, CNN and other prominent news sources  have been unable to verify the video or the time in which the video was filmed. The clip that was released on social media was only 21 seconds long. In this clip, Olivier Dubois introduced himself prior to stating he has been kidnapped in Gao, a town in central Mali. This kidnap happened on April 8 by a local Islamist group affiliated al Qaeda that is refered to as JNIM, an acronym for the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims. Senior Lizzie Kennedy stated, “It is so unfortunate that they cannot verify the video or when it was filmed.”

This journalist stated in the 21 second clip that he is relying on his friends, family, and French authorities to do everything in their power to help him. Senior Allie Kennedy stated, “It is necessary for everyone to do as much as they can to get him back home.” In a news conference that occurred Wednesday, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal addressed Dubois' disappearance, however he did not the identify the kidnappers and said that French authorities were working to approve the clip's authenticity.