WHO says doctor abducted in Mali

Geneva, Switzerland (AFP):

The World Health Organization said Tuesday that one of its doctors had been abducted in Mali, adding that the motivation behind an attack on his car was unclear.

“We deplore the abduction of WHO colleague Dr Mahamadou Diawara, who was taken by unidentified assailants from his car on January 23, in the town of Menaka in northern Mali,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference in Geneva.

Tedros said the UN health agency was working with local authorities to find out what had happened on Monday, adding: “Health workers should never be a target.”

In a statement, the WHO said it had deployed Diawara in Menaka since the beginning of 2020.

He had been leading efforts to provide medical care to communities that are often remote and face insecurity risks and violence.

“The driver of his car was also attacked, but the assailants left him behind and he is recovering from the incident,” the statement said.

“The motive for the abduction is unclear.

“WHO extends our sympathies to the family of Dr Diawara and is working with local authorities to investigate the abduction and ensure our colleague’s quick return to his family.”