Release of German Missionary Kidnapped in Mali a Year Ago

A church official announced on Sunday that "the German missionary Father Hans Joachim Lohre, who was kidnapped in Bamako, the capital of Mali last year, has been freed." Bent Nshumbu from the "Missionaries of Africa" institute told Reuters via phone, "Lohre has been released," adding, "Yes, he has been released, but we have to wait for more details from the authorities." The Malian government has not yet responded to requests for comment, while a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry declined to comment. Lohre, who has lived in Bamako for 30 years, was supposed to lead a mass in the capital last year when his colleagues noticed that his car remained parked in front of his house and his phone was turned off.