Six Senegalese truck drivers abducted by jihadist groups in Mali last Thursday have been released, according to the Senegalese Truck Drivers’ Union (URS). The freed hostages included two drivers and four apprentices working in cross-border transport.

The URS condemned the abductions as a direct threat to workers’ safety and to regional trade, which relies heavily on the Bamako-Kayes corridor linking Mali and Senegal.

This vital trade route has recently been targeted by the jihadist group JNIM, which has imposed a blockade, heightening insecurity in the region.

Speaking on the release, Gora Khouma, Secretary General of the URS, stressed the urgent need for stronger protections for drivers and measures to secure trade flows across the corridor.