“What happens in most of these cases is that the person who took the hostage is not the one holding the hostage,” Stern said. “The people holding hostages tend to be a lot smarter, a lot more capable, and a lot less disposable… so getting to them as quickly as possible matters in a very demonstrable way.”
Stern said every passing hour decreases the chance of recovery. In many cases, hostages are quickly traded or sold between groups with different motives – from ransom to propaganda – making it difficult to know what the captors want.
US MISSIONARY KIDNAPPED IN NIGER BY SUSPECTED ISLAMIC MILITANTS, SOURCES SAY
This photo, taken on September 7, 2023, shows Niger’s Presidential Palace in Niamey. The building has remained under the control of the military junta since President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in a coup in 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
“It’s easy to understand who took someone, but once people are traded like cards and stuff, it’s hard to understand what the current holding party wants,” he said.
The groups often operate with their own command structure and pecking order, each with different goals and levels of influence.
“All these different things play into how you’re going to get someone back, and the most dangerous thing you can do is send in ninjas and shoot everyone,” Stern said. “That’s the riskiest thing we do because there’s no room for error.”
I was kidnapped by Boko Haram and survived. NO THANKS TO THE SILENCE OF THE WEST
Niger’s junta leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani salutes during an official ceremony in Niamey, Niger, on August 26, 2023. Tchiani seized power in a coup in July 2023 that deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and has ruled the West African nation ever since. (AFP via Getty Images)
US officials confirmed they are aware of the kidnapping, which took place in Niamey, about 100 meters from Niger’s presidential palace. The missionary, a pilot for the evangelical group Serving in Mission, was reportedly taken north into an area controlled by an ISIS offshoot.
A State Department spokesperson said embassy officials are working closely with local authorities and that the Trump administration considers the safe return of U.S. citizens a top priority. The US Embassy has also restricted staff movements to armored vehicles and banned visits to restaurants and open-air markets.
Stern described the region as having “31 flavors,” meaning it’s home to everything from Russian allies to criminal gangs and Islamic fundamentalists.
CRUZ Clashes With NIGERIA OVER HIS CLAIMS 50,000 CHRISTIANS KILLED SINCE 2009 BY RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE
A general view of a busy street market in Niamey, Niger, on May 17, 2023. The capital has faced increasing instability since the 2023 military coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum. (Michele Cattani/AFP via Getty Images)
While it is easy to assume that Islamist militants were behind the kidnapping, Stern warned, “until you know… it becomes speculation.”
“At some point someone will ask for something, you hope,” he said. “It’s very scary when they don’t ask for anything. In the worst case scenario, you are held hostage by someone who doesn’t want anything. Then you have no choice but to find them and kill them, and hopefully you survive that process.”
For now, the focus is on finding evidence of life and establishing communication.
U.S. special operations units are likely to maintain surveillance and communications from the region, but Stern warned that a rescue attempt would be “the most dangerous thing special operations can do.”
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Officials have not said whether any group has claimed responsibility or made demands.
