Kidnapped Mali opposition leader and French aid worker freed

A prominent Malian opposition leader and a French aid worker were among four hostages to have been released by suspected fighters, Mali’s presidency said. Soumaila Cisse, 70, and Frenchwoman Sophie Petronin, 75, who were believed to have been held by al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters, were on their way to the capital, Bamako, following their release, Mali’s presidency said on Twitter on Thursday. Italian hostages, Nicola Chiacchio and Pier Luigi Maccalli, were also freed on Thursday, the president’s office said in a statement read on national television. The French Embassy in Bamako’s Twitter account also shared the news, adding: “AT LAST!” The hostages’ release followed the freeing by Malian authorities of nearly 200 suspected fighters over the weekend, which had fuelled speculation that a prisoner exchange was imminent. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">